User Profile

I've heard many talks by Ruha Benjamin and others on some of the critical themes covered in this book: how facially "neutral" designs can ossify and expand inequity, how attempts to reduce bias can in fact increase it, etc. I've even heard many of the examples in this book before: the shockingly racist systems embedded in film development technology, the replication of eugenics throughout the decades, and so on. But this book covers each topic with a rigor and depth that is so illuminating, so insightful, that it demands to be read if you're even peripherally connected or use technology (basically everyone).

Benjamin delivers a clarion call for thinking through the systems in which we embed technology, the need to question what is measured and optimized, and the importance of building or dismantling systems to bring about a more just world. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Compared to other books examining Black or Native American history, this one is much more probing in the questions it asks, as well as in its refreshing, original prose. I wish the book was twice as long - there are some events that are strangely glossed over while others that receive much more detailed consideration and are better for it. Other historical accounts would disagree with some of the conclusions here, which are ideologically-driven to a level that I'm not comfortable with in an academic book. If you're looking for an entry point into US history, however, this is a good place to start.

This book is beautifully written, and since I'm Jewish it hit very close to home. The profound impact of Judeo-Christian philosophy on how we view disability is difficult to overstate, and Watts Belser methodically reviews the voluminous writings on this topic to illustrate how complex and varied interpretations can be of religious writings. Through it all, she demonstrates how central disability is to the human condition, even in these religious texts, how often it is swept away, and how important it is to re-examine our view of disability.

I think this book will still be good even if you're not Jewish, but if you are you're definitely going to get more from it. Highly recommend

This book deftly mixes personal stories with an introduction to a wide variety of Native American creation stories, cultural practices, foodways, agricultural practices, and epistemologies (seriously). I also appreciated the academic botanical knowledge that Kimmerer brings here adds a solid additional dimension to the book. I was hoping for much less of a focus on the anecdotal stories here, but if that's what you're looking for you'll like the book even more than I did.