A timely, levelheaded analysis of America’s most polarizing political issues.
An engineer surveys America’s political landscape in this debut nonfiction book.
“We are in a time when people take positions on subjects and defend them as part of their ‘tribe,’” writes Taggart, who argues that hyper-partisanship not only excludes more than one-third of Americans who consider themselves independents, but also threatens democracy itself, as the election denialism of 2020 demonstrates. With more than three decades of experience as an engineer for corporate industries, the author hopes to offer a nonpartisan, “factual, data-driven approach” to America’s pressing political issues, from education and the economy to prescription drugs and energy. While admitting that “hard data” can be misinterpreted, he contends that ultimately “hard data won’t lie to you.” For instance, no amount of political spin can change the quantitative link between poverty and gun violence, a correlation that, to Taggart, offers alternative strategies to combat this phenomenon that don’t involve unattainable policies such as “disarming America.” Similarly, according to the book, the undeniable statistical data that African American men are more likely “to be killed by law enforcement, even when unarmed,” points to the continued legacy of systemic racism. Given the volume’s expressed “hope for moderation,” its centrist solutions to hot-button issues may not satisfy those on the two ideological poles. On dealing with systemic racism, for instance, the author rejects the possibility of reparations as unfeasible, and instead offers more tepid alternatives, such as a national database that shares information about police employment history and incidents. Alternately, the author’s belief that America needs “solutions to be simple” may not satisfy the more revolutionary aspirations of the left or the right. But those looking for evidence-based, centrist positions on polarizing issues will find a well-argued book that eschews ad hominem attacks and hot takes generated to maximize emotional engagement. Even if readers disagree with all of the author's conclusions, he provides more than a dozen tables and charts as well as over 100 endnotes for the audience to explore the evidence. For full transparency, the work’s data is provided to readers via the author’s website in the form of Excel spreadsheets.
A timely, levelheaded analysis of America’s most polarizing political issues.Pub Date: Jan. 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781954779877
Page Count: 412
Publisher: Emerald Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An important dialogue at a fraught time, emphasizing mutual candor, curiosity, and respect.
Two bestselling authors engage in an enlightening back-and-forth about Jewishness and antisemitism.
Acho, author of Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man, and Tishby, author of Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, discuss many of the searing issues for Jews today, delving into whether Jewishness is a religion, culture, ethnicity, or community—or all of the above. As Tishby points out, unlike in Christianity, one can be comfortably atheist and still be considered a Jew. She defines Judaism as a “big tent” religion with four main elements: religion, peoplehood, nationhood, and the idea of tikkun olam (“repairing the world through our actions”). She addresses candidly the hurtful stereotypes about Jews (that they are rich and powerful) that Acho grew up with in Dallas and how Jews internalize these antisemitic judgments. Moreover, Tishby notes, “it is literally impossible to be Jewish and not have any connection with Israel, and I’m not talking about borders or a dot on the map. Judaism…is an indigenous religion.” Acho wonders if one can legitimately criticize “Jewish people and their ideologies” without being antisemitic, and Tishby offers ways to check whether one’s criticism of Jews or Zionism is antisemitic or factually straightforward. The authors also touch on the deteriorating relationship between Black and Jewish Americans, despite their historically close alliance during the civil rights era. “As long as Jewish people get to benefit from appearing white while Black people have to suffer for being Black, there will always be resentment,” notes Acho. “Because the same thing that grants you all access—your skin color—is what grants us pain and punishment in perpetuity.” Finally, the authors underscore the importance of being mutual allies, and they conclude with helpful indexes on vernacular terms and customs.
An important dialogue at a fraught time, emphasizing mutual candor, curiosity, and respect.Pub Date: April 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781668057858
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Simon Element
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.
Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.
The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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