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lachellerising's reviews
174 reviews
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
4.0
I’ve listened to Gladwell’s podcast “Revisionist History” but this was my first time reading his work.
Outliers is an excellent study on how to expand the way we view success stories. He dives into class privilege, cultural legacies and achievement gaps in a well-studied unbiased manner that challenges us all to reframe the way we look at hard work, and being self made.
I wouldn’t consider this a self-help book as it’s categorized, it’s more of a sociological exploration. My biggest takeaway from reading this book (though it was not outwardly expressed by Gladwell) is that while it is inspiring to look at the career paths of others, ultimately what determines your success is completely unique to your circumstances, resources and a little bit of chance.
Outliers is an excellent study on how to expand the way we view success stories. He dives into class privilege, cultural legacies and achievement gaps in a well-studied unbiased manner that challenges us all to reframe the way we look at hard work, and being self made.
I wouldn’t consider this a self-help book as it’s categorized, it’s more of a sociological exploration. My biggest takeaway from reading this book (though it was not outwardly expressed by Gladwell) is that while it is inspiring to look at the career paths of others, ultimately what determines your success is completely unique to your circumstances, resources and a little bit of chance.
Where to Begin: A Small Book about Your Power to Create Big Change in Our Crazy World by Cleo Wade
1.0
Not sure who her target audience is but it definitely doesn’t resonate with me as a Black woman. I started this audiobook in hopes of hearing some prose and poetry that would inspire me to keep going after feeling spiritually depleted— what Wade offers is dull and unimaginative. Her use of language is colorless and some of her suggestions seem to cater to people who come from privileged backgrounds (re: white)
“The world will ask you to heal racism, start with doing it in your own family”. There are also suggestions in here that are so surface level and myopic that they aren’t even worth mentioning (“the world will ask you to save the environment, start by saying I don’t want a plastic bag or pick up a small piece of trash, recycle” there are more steps we can take as individuals to impede the looming climate crisis, not to mention people have been doing this for decades and it hasn’t made much of a difference).
This is not a book for someone who has endured hardship and feels discouraged from constantly giving, fighting and trying to overcome their own oppression. This is 100% a book for someone who has yet to show up and do the work— hence the title “where to begin”. I thought it would at least be uplifting, inspiring or offer a fresh perspective but it does none of that for me. Some of us constantly begin again in order to remain hopeful, but we are not who she is lifting up or speaking to.
“The world will ask you to heal racism, start with doing it in your own family”. There are also suggestions in here that are so surface level and myopic that they aren’t even worth mentioning (“the world will ask you to save the environment, start by saying I don’t want a plastic bag or pick up a small piece of trash, recycle” there are more steps we can take as individuals to impede the looming climate crisis, not to mention people have been doing this for decades and it hasn’t made much of a difference).
This is not a book for someone who has endured hardship and feels discouraged from constantly giving, fighting and trying to overcome their own oppression. This is 100% a book for someone who has yet to show up and do the work— hence the title “where to begin”. I thought it would at least be uplifting, inspiring or offer a fresh perspective but it does none of that for me. Some of us constantly begin again in order to remain hopeful, but we are not who she is lifting up or speaking to.
The Spook Who Sat by the Door by Sam Greenlee
4.0
[3.5 stars] It’s hard not to take in the backdrop of the south side of Chicago without comparing this book to Native Son by Richard Wright but it stands on its own. Reading this book 50 years after its release and seeing how much remains unchanged in the way police brutality and anti-Blackness functions in this country typically makes me feel discouraged but I left this book feeling curious more than anything. What does justice actually look like when you’re fighting a violent, racist, impermeable system.
Goddesses in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen
4.0
I originally picked this up because it was recommended in a book I read about character development. I’m surprised at how much I resonated with a lot of these goddess and how I now see them in nearly every film/television show and story with women characters. I also see these goddesses in the lives of real life women.
This is part mythology and part Jungian psychology so there’s a lot of talk about dreams, symbolism and archetypes. There are definitely some Eurocentric and heteronormative undertones (though a couple of mentions about how these archetypes may apply to queer women) but that is the nature of the subject matter (Greek mythology).
I’d recommend this for women who are going through major life changes/transitions, people who are fascinated with psychology and mythology and writers who are looking to expand the way they portray complex women characters.
This is part mythology and part Jungian psychology so there’s a lot of talk about dreams, symbolism and archetypes. There are definitely some Eurocentric and heteronormative undertones (though a couple of mentions about how these archetypes may apply to queer women) but that is the nature of the subject matter (Greek mythology).
I’d recommend this for women who are going through major life changes/transitions, people who are fascinated with psychology and mythology and writers who are looking to expand the way they portray complex women characters.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
5.0
This was incredible! Initially I was a bit skeptical that it was a story about an intersex person written by a cis male but it is extremely layered and you can tell a lot of research went into this. I love how it interweaves Greek culture with the history of Detroit and gender identity. A truly important and unique body of work.
Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by bell hooks
5.0
The most affirming self-help book I’ve read as a Black woman.
bell hooks work is so important for US. I gained a deeper understanding of how the collective anguish of being a Black woman impacts my mental health as well as a lot of practical methods for leading a life of love, communion, care of self, truth-telling forgiveness and recovery. Will definitely revisiting and wish I could’ve discovered this book sooner!
bell hooks work is so important for US. I gained a deeper understanding of how the collective anguish of being a Black woman impacts my mental health as well as a lot of practical methods for leading a life of love, communion, care of self, truth-telling forgiveness and recovery. Will definitely revisiting and wish I could’ve discovered this book sooner!