WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE?

The huge topic of human diversity is here given cursory treatment that may raise more questions than it answers.

Using the analogy of a rainbow, human differences including race, physical ability, personality type, culture, family structure, and occupation are portrayed as nothing to be afraid of and less significant than our basic human commonalities. The intended audience for this work is unclear. The text ranges from quite simplistic (“People have different eye colors. They have different hair colors. They have different skin colors”) to fairly complex (“Culture is a word we use to describe the shared attitudes, practices and beliefs of a certain group of people”). Readers may also not grasp that the oblique mention of lifestyle differences may be referring to socio-economic diversity. Some topics are unfortunately treated in a noninclusive way; the detailed description of different kinds of families ignores the very common multigenerational model, and sexual orientation is presented as binary, erasing bisexual and pansexual individuals. Cartoonlike illustrations show people of different skin tones, physical abilities, and ages wearing a variety of types of clothing, including Sikh turbans and Muslim hijab, and often interacting in positive ways.

While the overall message is laudable, the book attempts to cover too much territory with too few details to sustain interest, satisfy the natural curiosity that diversity arouses, or offer support to those who feel marginalized due to their differences.