by Bill Miller ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2015
A passionate call for social change.
An African-American novelist muses upon the world’s enduring racial tensions in this nonfiction work.
Miller (Seeds of Magnolia, 2014) asserts that “Everybody on the planet acts as if they are angry,” but “Although a lot of things are in disrepair, they can be fixed.” Black and white people alike can be racist, he says, and “We should stop making decisions, stop liking, and stop disliking based on the color of a person’s skin.” Referencing recent events in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as his own experiences as an African-American man, he notes, “No one can intelligently argue that Blacks are not targeted by law enforcement officers.” Yet Miller also relates how white parents allowed him to study alone with their daughter. At another point, he notes, “We take it upon ourselves to judge others, but the Bible tells us that we should not” and uses the example of same-sex marriage: “If same sex relationships are wrong, then, according to the Holy Bible, God will judge and then render the punishment should there be any….Telling people who they can or cannot marry is getting too involved in what should be personal choices.” However, he devotes much of his book to detailing why white supremacists won’t let social harmony happen. He describes how a “rogue coalition” will likely mobilize to deal with the fact that white people are projected to no longer be the majority in America by 2042, saying that Asian, Latino, or Hispanic people “will be counted as White in order to maintain the White majority.” Miller also discusses how those seeking “one world government” would likely also assert white supremacy, as well as escalate other atrocities. Miller, who previously tapped into his own mixed-race family history to craft a Civil War–era novel, has written a thought-provoking work that’s most powerful when touching on his own experiences and encouraging others to embrace his stated philosophy: “I acknowledge acceptance of the multicultural diversity of the human race, knowing that every individual is different, yet all are equal.” While Miller may intend his detailing of various nefarious activities to serve as eye-opening warning, readers may wish that he spent more time on how American society could be changed for the better. Still, this book is clearly heartfelt and may serve as a conversation starter.
A passionate call for social change.Pub Date: June 23, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5123-9047-6
Page Count: 208
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Bill Miller
by Yuval Noah Harari ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 4, 2018
Harari delivers yet another tour de force.
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A highly instructive exploration of “current affairs and…the immediate future of human societies.”
Having produced an international bestseller about human origins (Sapiens, 2015, etc.) and avoided the sophomore jinx writing about our destiny (Homo Deus, 2017), Harari (History/Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem) proves that he has not lost his touch, casting a brilliantly insightful eye on today’s myriad crises, from Trump to terrorism, Brexit to big data. As the author emphasizes, “humans think in stories rather than in facts, numbers, or equations, and the simpler the story, the better. Every person, group, and nation has its own tales and myths.” Three grand stories once predicted the future. World War II eliminated the fascist story but stimulated communism for a few decades until its collapse. The liberal story—think democracy, free markets, and globalism—reigned supreme for a decade until the 20th-century nasties—dictators, populists, and nationalists—came back in style. They promote jingoism over international cooperation, vilify the opposition, demonize immigrants and rival nations, and then win elections. “A bit like the Soviet elites in the 1980s,” writes Harari, “liberals don’t understand how history deviates from its preordained course, and they lack an alternative prism through which to interpret reality.” The author certainly understands, and in 21 painfully astute essays, he delivers his take on where our increasingly “post-truth” world is headed. Human ingenuity, which enables us to control the outside world, may soon re-engineer our insides, extend life, and guide our thoughts. Science-fiction movies get the future wrong, if only because they have happy endings. Most readers will find Harari’s narrative deliciously reasonable, including his explanation of the stories (not actually true but rational) of those who elect dictators, populists, and nationalists. His remedies for wildly disruptive technology (biotech, infotech) and its consequences (climate change, mass unemployment) ring true, provided nations act with more good sense than they have shown throughout history.
Harari delivers yet another tour de force.Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-51217-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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by Yuval Noah Harari ; illustrated by Ricard Zaplana Ruiz
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by Yuval Noah Harari ; illustrated by Ricard Zaplana Ruiz
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by Yuval Noah Harari ; adapted by Yuval Noah Harari , David Vandermeulen & Daniel Casanave ; illustrated by Daniel Casanave
by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2018
The value of this book is the context it provides, in a style aimed at a concerned citizenry rather than fellow academics,...
A provocative analysis of the parallels between Donald Trump’s ascent and the fall of other democracies.
Following the last presidential election, Levitsky (Transforming Labor-Based Parties in Latin America, 2003, etc.) and Ziblatt (Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy, 2017, etc.), both professors of government at Harvard, wrote an op-ed column titled, “Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy?” The answer here is a resounding yes, though, as in that column, the authors underscore their belief that the crisis extends well beyond the power won by an outsider whom they consider a demagogue and a liar. “Donald Trump may have accelerated the process, but he didn’t cause it,” they write of the politics-as-warfare mentality. “The weakening of our democratic norms is rooted in extreme partisan polarization—one that extends beyond policy differences into an existential conflict over race and culture.” The authors fault the Republican establishment for failing to stand up to Trump, even if that meant electing his opponent, and they seem almost wistfully nostalgic for the days when power brokers in smoke-filled rooms kept candidacies restricted to a club whose members knew how to play by the rules. Those supporting the candidacy of Bernie Sanders might take as much issue with their prescriptions as Trump followers will. However, the comparisons they draw to how democratic populism paved the way toward tyranny in Peru, Venezuela, Chile, and elsewhere are chilling. Among the warning signs they highlight are the Republican Senate’s refusal to consider Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee as well as Trump’s demonization of political opponents, minorities, and the media. As disturbing as they find the dismantling of Democratic safeguards, Levitsky and Ziblatt suggest that “a broad opposition coalition would have important benefits,” though such a coalition would strike some as a move to the center, a return to politics as usual, and even a pragmatic betrayal of principles.
The value of this book is the context it provides, in a style aimed at a concerned citizenry rather than fellow academics, rather than in the consensus it is not likely to build.Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6293-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
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