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Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America

by Ijeoma Oluo

Seal Press ·2020 ·278 pages
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93/99
Top of the Pile

93/99

Critics' Rating Index

Top of the Pile

94/99

Readers' Rating Index

Top of the Pile

93/99

Scholars' Citation Index

84/99

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About This Book

From the author of the New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, a history of white male America and a scathing indictment of what it has cost us socially, economically, and politically After the election of Donald Trump, and the escalation of white male rage and increased hostility toward immigrants that came with him, New York Times-bestselling author Ijeoma Oluo found herself in conversation with Americans around the country, pondering one central question: How did we get here? In this ambitious survey of the last century of American history, Oluo answers that question by pinpointing white men's deliberate efforts to subvert women, people of color, and the disenfranchised. Through research, interviews, and the powerful, personal writing for which she is celebrated, Oluo investigates the backstory of America's growth, from immigrant migration to our national ethos around ingenuity, from the shaping of economic policy to the protection of sociopolitical movements that fortify male power. In the end, she shows how white men have long maintained a stranglehold on leadership and sorely undermined the pursuit of happiness for all.


Reviews

"A gifted storyteller and thorough researcher, Oluo analyzes these histories, many of them lesser known, with solid scholarship and useful pop-culture references ..."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"[an] incisive treatise ..."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Oluo persuasively argues that the result of leaving power in the hands of men like Cody and Preston is not equal, fair, or even advantageous."

Jenny Hamilton· Booklist Read review ↗ Near the Top

"She reveals the levers and pulleys of systemic racism in America...The difference between the two works is of showing and telling."

Elizabeth Greenwood· San Francisco Chronicle Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"There is levity and voice in Mediocre, which Oluo dedicates to 'Black womxn.' The work presents nuanced historical accounts and analyses of America's westward expansion, education system, mistreatment of women in workplaces, politics and sports, while interjecting the author's personality and personal history."

Nneka Mcguire· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Through careful research and scholarship, she breaks down the system that sustains the status quo while shedding light on the ways others can also dismantle this system to ensure a more equitable future for all."

Sarojini Seupersad· BookPage Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"They abandon tough political positions when those positions undercut their ambition ..."

Brittney Cooper· The New York Times Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Oluo calls on us to do better because we deserve better, and her words will resonate with all ready to look inward and enact change."

Stephanie Sendaula· Library Journal Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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