Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
- Downloads：7287
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-02-25 17:38:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Isabel Wilkerson
- ISBN：0593230272
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Dana Clinton
，
Review: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents （Isabel Wilkerson） This is a very fine book with excellent writing which I have spent quite some time with， sometimes reading a few pages， more often being sucked in for a long time。 Comparisons are compelling and examples both horrific and sad， but what an excellent primer for anyone trying to come to terms with our past and its impact on the present， anyone trying to understand what needs to be done without fear and with determination and hope for Review: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents （Isabel Wilkerson） This is a very fine book with excellent writing which I have spent quite some time with， sometimes reading a few pages， more often being sucked in for a long time。 Comparisons are compelling and examples both horrific and sad， but what an excellent primer for anyone trying to come to terms with our past and its impact on the present， anyone trying to understand what needs to be done without fear and with determination and hope for a better future。 In the early chapters， Wilkerson compares our country to an old house which， although we didn't build it ourselves， is ours to maintain and save from crumbling: "Not one of us was here when this house was built。 Our immediate ancestors may have had nothing to do with it， but here we are， the current occupants of a property with stress cracks and bowed walls and fissures built into the foundation。 We are the heirs to whatever is right or wrong with it。 We did not erect the uneven pillars or joists， but they are ours to deal with now。 / And any further deterioration is， in fact， on our hands。" The rest of this finely wrought book delves into why is is more accurate and more useful to accept that our country is built on a caste system （many comparisons to two others， that of India past and present， and that of Nazi Germany） than to try to use terms like "racist" and "race" to describe the foundational level of the operative systems in the U。S。A。 There are unconscious biases at all levels of a caste pyramid， and the author does an admirable job of helping the reader understand "the origins of our discontents"。 The final chapters exploring the why fors of the 2016 election are outstanding。 Even though I say I am more of a fiction reader， a book such as this is so invigorating。 I am sure it is banned in many places， which is a true pity; one should never be uninterested in understanding what makes us tick。 。。。more
Lyndsay
，
I'm just pausing this for now because I haven't been able to dedicate enough time and attention and focus to it。 I know it's a book I will enjoy and get a lot out of but I just started a new job and my brain capacity is not high enough for this book。 I will come back to it in a couple months when I can fully immerse myself in everything this book has to offer。 I'm just pausing this for now because I haven't been able to dedicate enough time and attention and focus to it。 I know it's a book I will enjoy and get a lot out of but I just started a new job and my brain capacity is not high enough for this book。 I will come back to it in a couple months when I can fully immerse myself in everything this book has to offer。 。。。more
william kienzle
，
amazingA brilliant book that everyone of every race and caste should read。 Isabel Wilkerson is truly a great thinker and writer who has enlightened us all。
Heidi Ellis
，
Very good。 Heavy for sure， but a very important read。 Definitely made me think about privilege in different ways and better understand the history of caste and prejudice in societies around the world。
Mathena
，
How much this book means to me is indescribable。 I tried annotating and had to stop halfway through due to how much I was highlighting。 It seems like there’s a valuable sentence every other paragraph。 I would recommend this to my friends， my family， my neighbors， someone I passed on the street， and anyone who consistently states， “why do they always have to make it about race？” To that I would say: because it was about race for a quarter millennia and it continues to be about race today。 Caste b How much this book means to me is indescribable。 I tried annotating and had to stop halfway through due to how much I was highlighting。 It seems like there’s a valuable sentence every other paragraph。 I would recommend this to my friends， my family， my neighbors， someone I passed on the street， and anyone who consistently states， “why do they always have to make it about race？” To that I would say: because it was about race for a quarter millennia and it continues to be about race today。 Caste by Isabel Wilkerson should be a staple on anyone’s bookshelf in order to continue to educate oneself on the history of our country， and how our country continues to operate in it’s modern caste system。 。。。more
Catherine
，
This is a must-read book。 I don’t say that about a lot of books。 I knew or understood most of it。 But Wilkerson presents and quantifies a compelling picture of a system that’s persistent and pervasive，Quoting Taylor Branch on page 352， “if people were given the choice between democracy and whiteness， how many would choose whiteness。” Read this book。
Rachel
，
Wow。 So many mind blowing facts that I am shocked I'd never been taught before。 As all of Wilkerson's books， it was incredibly well researched and organized。 It's a page turner even though it's packed with heavy information。I was reading it at the same time as the Lincoln biography And There Was Light， which was a really wonderful and fascinating simultaneous read。 It really felt like an eye opening "look how far we haven't come" since the civil war and reconstruction。 Absolutely fascinating， en Wow。 So many mind blowing facts that I am shocked I'd never been taught before。 As all of Wilkerson's books， it was incredibly well researched and organized。 It's a page turner even though it's packed with heavy information。I was reading it at the same time as the Lincoln biography And There Was Light， which was a really wonderful and fascinating simultaneous read。 It really felt like an eye opening "look how far we haven't come" since the civil war and reconstruction。 Absolutely fascinating， enraging， and heart breaking。 。。。more
Louise
，
3。5*Good though rather long winded and repetitive。 The anecdotes often had tenuous relationships to the theory， and some seemed based on assumption rather than fact or research。 And， due to the repetition， was longer than needed。
Kara
，
I’m convinced this book should be required reading for all those who call America home， the country that caste scholar， Gary Michael Tartakov， suggests is “a civilization searching for its humanity。” Isabel Wilkerson humanizes our past and contextualizes our present in deeply moving and powerful ways。 She skillfully weaves personal anecdotes and research to illustrate how “no one escapes the tentacles of caste，” while reminding us that “we are responsible for our own ignorance or， with time and I’m convinced this book should be required reading for all those who call America home， the country that caste scholar， Gary Michael Tartakov， suggests is “a civilization searching for its humanity。” Isabel Wilkerson humanizes our past and contextualizes our present in deeply moving and powerful ways。 She skillfully weaves personal anecdotes and research to illustrate how “no one escapes the tentacles of caste，” while reminding us that “we are responsible for our own ignorance or， with time and openhearted enlightenment， our own wisdom。” This book can teach us so much about who we are; it’s a profoundly important read。 。。。more
Rich
，
Read about half- it was good and enough for me
Mindy Tharnish
，
A MUST READ for anyone seeking to understand the current racial climate of America and how to improve it。 Well researched and well written。
RS Rook
，
Well， this was a huge disappointment。 Partially， this is due to my expectations。 In fairness to Wilkerson， anything would be tough to follow-up her first， Pullitzer Prize winning work The Warmth of Other Suns （which is very good and I do recommend）。 Additionally， I went into this expecting an academic approach， and judged the first half of this book particularly harshly because it doesn't meet that criteria。 But as I continued my way through it， I began to realize that it was more of a personal Well， this was a huge disappointment。 Partially， this is due to my expectations。 In fairness to Wilkerson， anything would be tough to follow-up her first， Pullitzer Prize winning work The Warmth of Other Suns （which is very good and I do recommend）。 Additionally， I went into this expecting an academic approach， and judged the first half of this book particularly harshly because it doesn't meet that criteria。 But as I continued my way through it， I began to realize that it was more of a personal and political meditation， rather than an academic thesis。 Her goal is to explain and educate， not to defend an argument， and this reflected in the structure of the book， which really feels a more like a collection of essays on a common theme rather than a single cohesive study。 Thinking of this book as an essay collection， to me at least， increases its value because some chapters， in isolation， are really quite interesting。 Wilkerson is a vibrant writer， with a particular knack for setting a scene that pulls the reader into the moment， so all of the chapters are very readable。 But she also over-relies on analogy as a device and sometimes this gets away from her。 In one particularly bizarre chapter she tries to argue against the caste system by drawing a comparison to canine dominance hierarchies in which she intends to describe how caste limits people from meeting their potential by overprescribing their social roles， but instead manages to insinuate that some have an innate quality which justifies their dominance over other people， （"natural alphas"）。 It sort of just comes off as incel logic， or even an unintentional pro-eugenics dogwhistle。 She also holds up Nazi Germany as an example of a caste system being dismantled。 It's clear she respects how Germany has responded to its terrible history， and I agree that is laudable， but their willingness to openly acknowledge their national atrocities is not the same as how that caste system was dismantled。 1。 They murdered or chased off the vast majority of their lower caste， 2。 They had to be crushed militarily and forcibly occupied for years by multiple foreign powers， to get to the point where they could acknowledge what happened， and that it was bad。 It certainly wasn't the "radical empathy" that Wilkerson prescribes at the end which dismantled the system。 She also rather downplays or avoids any class analysis。 And while her definition of caste is structural and systemic， the solution she presents is safely packaged for individual consumption。 Don't get me wrong， love thy neighbors is a lofty goal， but more importantly how do we build a system which safeguards justice even for those we struggle to empathize with and who we do not understand？ Overall， there are some good observations and historical examinations in this book that probably make a 1-star review overly harsh。 I will say that her examinations did prompt me to look up responses， especially from Black and Indian scholars， which revealed perspectives both critical and in agreement with Wilkerson's caste premise。 I value a work that prompts me to look deeper。 But since I found myself getting more out of some of the responses to this book， than the book itself， I don't think I can give it a higher rating。 I probably would have gotten the same from reading Medium articles and that's kind of what many of the chapters felt like。 。。。more
Albarnes
，
An excellent， important read to understand the creation and persistance of power， privilege， prejudice in the caste systems of the US and other countries。
Bill Linton
，
I picked this up hoping that it would a scholarly approach to what drives some of the cultural issues that exist in America。 It doesn’t take long to see that this is nothing more than Critical Race Theory。 Ms。 Wilkerson cherry picks statistics that support her point of view， rather than taking an objective scholarly approach。 Rather than argue every thing point by point， that would take quite a while， I would suggest reading Charles Murray’s Coming Apart。In contrast to Ms。 Wilkerson， Dr。 Murray I picked this up hoping that it would a scholarly approach to what drives some of the cultural issues that exist in America。 It doesn’t take long to see that this is nothing more than Critical Race Theory。 Ms。 Wilkerson cherry picks statistics that support her point of view， rather than taking an objective scholarly approach。 Rather than argue every thing point by point， that would take quite a while， I would suggest reading Charles Murray’s Coming Apart。In contrast to Ms。 Wilkerson， Dr。 Murray is anthropologist who takes an empirical approach to this subject， providing the reader the data so they can make their own conclusions rather than telling what to think。 。。。more
Meredith Soward
，
Learned some new things， revisited many things I’ve learned about before。 The second half of the book picked up more but the organizational approach didn’t really click for me for most of the book。
Christopher Pope
，
4。5 stars。 As an American， specifically a white American， this is one of the most important books I’ve ever read。 I am so disappointed I didn’t have this information earlier in my life。 The extrapolation of the American system as a consequence of a rigid caste hierarchy seemed a bit of a stretch as it started but the thesis proved to be so accurate。 SO SO SOOO accurate。 And the subtitle that this caste system is the origin of the American discontent also seems so accurate。 I thought it was ingen 4。5 stars。 As an American， specifically a white American， this is one of the most important books I’ve ever read。 I am so disappointed I didn’t have this information earlier in my life。 The extrapolation of the American system as a consequence of a rigid caste hierarchy seemed a bit of a stretch as it started but the thesis proved to be so accurate。 SO SO SOOO accurate。 And the subtitle that this caste system is the origin of the American discontent also seems so accurate。 I thought it was ingenious to compare the state of American caste against the nazi German system and the Indian system。 I learned a ton about both of those systems herein， but also found so much shame in my heritage for creating such a similar and oppressive system。 The most deeply cutting portions outlined how the brutality and structure of the nazi’s caste system was intentionally and astutely pull right from americas; that even the nazi’s could go as far as dehumanizing their lower castes as Americans did with theirs。 The argument and picture was so deeply shameful to realize。 That the holocaust didn’t hold a candle in severity to the racial caste system in pre and post civil war America and that the caste-iest system there ever has been （Indian） and is so known for its consistent dehumanization of its lower classes doesn’t even compare to how far upper caste Americans have taken things over time。 But again， why am I in my 30s before I learned any of this？ Why was this never connected and taught in my youth？ Why is it STILL not taught to any youth？ Why will is not be taught to any of my children？ Because the upper caste won’t overthrow itself; it has no incentive to even if it means the total disruption of humanity for everyone involved。 But this book is essential reading for all Americans。 Period。 At the least， I’ve never read a book that so clearly and brutally removes the ignorant covers more Americans have for pre and post civil war race relations。 The stories and numbers are brutal and clear and shameful。 I’ve read some stories before and thought I understood the severity of the times， but I didn’t。 I needed this caste framework to connect everything together; to see how pervasive the problems were。 That what seemed like a one-off brutal tale of racisms was actually the norm。 That lynching and torture was just a random passing event when it happened daily in many regions of the country for hundreds of years for sincerely no good reason other than continued caste oppression。 As a member of the American upper caste， I am utterly ashamed。 I don’t know what my ancestors did in this system but I know they are Americans all the way back to the first colonizers。 I live in ignorance of their specific sins but accept the reality of their likely evil and shameful attitudes and actions。 The country， the system， especially the white folk in America have had everything build upon the blood and bodies of the lower and subordinate castes。 Not just a few， but millions。 And the bodies continue to pile。 The author does well to articulate the increase in caste related violence over the last 15 years。 There’s been regression rather than progression。 Living outside of the country now and seeing others looking at the state of America from outside， so many people just are so confused at the division and regression。 And I just didn’t have answers。 Now I do。 This book answers it all。 As for critique of the text itself， it’s so well written。 The author， an accomplished journalist and editorialist， does superbly in presenting， structuring and supporting her thesis。 She’s convincing and cutting。 Not pulling punches and never too frequently to allow the reader to be distracted from the sting and shame of the last hit。 I particularly enjoyed the first third where there was a beautiful mixture of journalism， story telling， and academic presentation。 My only qualm is that this book was longer than it needed to be。 About 2/3 through the book， there just didn’t seem to be as strong a need to say what was being said。 The extrapolations of the caste implications in modern society are important but harder to connect。 Arguments were clearly more biased and totally different， without the same academic rigor of the previous chapters。 They were still ultimately important， but just weren’t at the same level of value or quality as the early bits。 But I’d take volumes of more books like the first 2/3 of this。 And sadly I’m sure there are enough stories from history to fill volumes。 At the end， the wisdom in comparing American caste with Indian and nazi caste was so useful。 Each came from different places and motivations and had different outcomes and is in different stages of its evolution。 But the precise analysis of where America has come from， how it could change and where it could go （or fail to go…admittedly I’m hopeless） provides total awareness and accountability for the reader。 As the Germans are told to do， there is nothing but shame for their past。 There is total ownership and total shame and regret。 There is no holding on but moving onward with only glances back to remember the victims as fuel to be better and never entertain the ideas ever again。 America is so far from that， but it’s a goal we can chase。 And at the least， I feel I’m closer to it。 。。。more
Book Lover
，
I feel like this phrase gets thrown around a lot， but THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING。 The idea of caste being the ruling force in the U。 S。 makes so much sense and I loved how the author presented the idea that we have a casteism problem。 This was a totally unique way of looking at a lot of the issues that plague our country， and I loved the author’s approach to the subject matter。 The way she laid out the chapters， the way she used the Indian caste system as a frame of reference， the way I feel like this phrase gets thrown around a lot， but THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING。 The idea of caste being the ruling force in the U。 S。 makes so much sense and I loved how the author presented the idea that we have a casteism problem。 This was a totally unique way of looking at a lot of the issues that plague our country， and I loved the author’s approach to the subject matter。 The way she laid out the chapters， the way she used the Indian caste system as a frame of reference， the way she incorporated history side by side with current events to show how things have remained exactly the same。 Fascinating， heartbreaking， enlightening， and sometimes disgusting all at the same time。At times， the read felt a bit clinical and scientific， but at the end of the day， that’s the only way she could have laid this out for readers。 She does include some anecdotes from her own life and experiences with caste， but that’s only one piece of the puzzle she has created。 Read this one！！！ If you’re an audio fan， this was a great audio listen。 。。。more
David Heath
，
Caste builds on Isabel Wilkerson's masterpiece The Warmth of Other Suns with a more expositive approach。 She interweaves shocking historical events with her own personal stories of enduring humiliation as a black woman。 Even a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at a powerful newspaper had to suffer through everyday indignations based on her perceived caste。The thesis is that racism is built on top of a caste system， which explains events such as the beating death of Tyre Nichols by five black polic Caste builds on Isabel Wilkerson's masterpiece The Warmth of Other Suns with a more expositive approach。 She interweaves shocking historical events with her own personal stories of enduring humiliation as a black woman。 Even a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at a powerful newspaper had to suffer through everyday indignations based on her perceived caste。The thesis is that racism is built on top of a caste system， which explains events such as the beating death of Tyre Nichols by five black police officers。 It also explains why white Americans， especially white men， are so enamored of Donald Trump。 Even though his policies are for the wealthy， Trump validates their twisted feelings of being the superior caste。 。。。more
Jakub Kollar
，
An absolute masterpiece。 A special book by a brilliant writer and beautiful mind。
Donald A。
，
Perhaps the most important book I have read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson has literally opened my eyes to behaviors of both Bllacks and Whites that have long puzzled me。 Such behavior as Whites choosing to vote against their own interests; young， unarmed Blacks being beaten and killed by policemen， even black policemen; a deeper understanding of “black lives matter “; and much more。 Her writing style is easy to read and continuously captured my attention。 I sincerely thank Ms Wilkerson for writing C Perhaps the most important book I have read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson has literally opened my eyes to behaviors of both Bllacks and Whites that have long puzzled me。 Such behavior as Whites choosing to vote against their own interests; young， unarmed Blacks being beaten and killed by policemen， even black policemen; a deeper understanding of “black lives matter “; and much more。 Her writing style is easy to read and continuously captured my attention。 I sincerely thank Ms Wilkerson for writing Caste and recommend it as must reading。 。。。more
Gillian Fink
，
Have been chipping away at this for a while， but I'm glad I took the time to finish the second half with more momentum。 Caste is an incredible feat， though crushing and harrowing in nature。 Wilkerson manages to detail the history of race in America — or rather the caste system that continues to underpin our every day — likening it to Nazi Germany and India's own caste system。 This book is somehow historically sweeping， yet intimate， personal， and timely。 Should truly be required reading！ Have been chipping away at this for a while， but I'm glad I took the time to finish the second half with more momentum。 Caste is an incredible feat， though crushing and harrowing in nature。 Wilkerson manages to detail the history of race in America — or rather the caste system that continues to underpin our every day — likening it to Nazi Germany and India's own caste system。 This book is somehow historically sweeping， yet intimate， personal， and timely。 Should truly be required reading！ 。。。more
Alexis Patterson
，
“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。75“Caste” is a nonfictions book where Wilkerson discusses the history and the present use of the caste system in America。 Caste is the hierarchy of a society and in American， that society is based on a racial caste system with whites at the top and Black people at the bottom。 Wilkerson compares the American caste system to the caste systems of Nazi Germany and current day India， the latter of which inspired the American caste s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。75“Caste” is a nonfictions book where Wilkerson discusses the history and the present use of the caste system in America。 Caste is the hierarchy of a society and in American， that society is based on a racial caste system with whites at the top and Black people at the bottom。 Wilkerson compares the American caste system to the caste systems of Nazi Germany and current day India， the latter of which inspired the American caste system which in turn inspired the Nuremberg laws in Germany。Throughout all of my readings on racism in America， no one has explicitly discussed how that racism is a caste system when it’s so obvious it’s hidden in plain sight。This book was hard for me to get through。 There’s a lot of information that took a while to comprehend and digest so I highly recommend the audiobook version if you’re not used to reading heavy nonfiction works or you have comprehension problems like I do。I don’t know what else to say about this book without doing it justice， but if you really want to know about the history of racism in America and how it morphed into electing the most unqualified， inept orange colored candidate as president， then this book will give you the best insight you could possibly get。 。。。more
Molly
，
Great book to learn some history regarding how America's caste system was established and continues。 For example， the book discusses the fact that the Nazis looked to America for the establishment of its caste system AND thought much of what was done to African Americans was "too far" in establishing the lower caste。 Great book to learn some history regarding how America's caste system was established and continues。 For example， the book discusses the fact that the Nazis looked to America for the establishment of its caste system AND thought much of what was done to African Americans was "too far" in establishing the lower caste。 。。。more
Nathan Shuherk
，
Really eloquent writing but the the historiography is both unconvincing and philosophically misguided
Kellie
，
Loved this book。
DL
，
a sweeping， deeply researched and profoundly insightful exploration of the ways in which caste operates in American society。 Through vivid historical anecdotes and personal narratives， Wilkerson shows how the caste system shapes our everyday lives。 With rigorous scholarship and lyrical prose， she connects the dots between the caste systems of India， Nazi Germany， and the United States， revealing the ways in which hierarchies of race， class， and gender are intertwined。 A list of SCOTUS cases that a sweeping， deeply researched and profoundly insightful exploration of the ways in which caste operates in American society。 Through vivid historical anecdotes and personal narratives， Wilkerson shows how the caste system shapes our everyday lives。 With rigorous scholarship and lyrical prose， she connects the dots between the caste systems of India， Nazi Germany， and the United States， revealing the ways in which hierarchies of race， class， and gender are intertwined。 A list of SCOTUS cases that are discussed or referenced in the book:Dred Scott v。 Sandford （1857）Plessy v。 Ferguson （1896）Brown v。 Board of Education （1954）Loving v。 Virginia （1967）Griggs v。 Duke Power Co。 （1971）Regents of the University of California v。 Bakke （1978）McCleskey v。 Kemp （1987）Parents Involved in Community Schools v。 Seattle School District No。 1 （2007） 。。。more
Eliza
，
I listened to this on walks with Ellie， and it was such a thought-provoking book。 The author goes into detail， and with a variety of research to back it up， how race in America is due to a caste system similar to that in India （though not acknowledged like it is there）。 I learned a lot about our history and racism in the country， as well as a new perspective on how Trump was able to win the election/the shifts we’ve seen forming in our country。 It was a bit academic at times that was hard to fol I listened to this on walks with Ellie， and it was such a thought-provoking book。 The author goes into detail， and with a variety of research to back it up， how race in America is due to a caste system similar to that in India （though not acknowledged like it is there）。 I learned a lot about our history and racism in the country， as well as a new perspective on how Trump was able to win the election/the shifts we’ve seen forming in our country。 It was a bit academic at times that was hard to follow in audiobook format， but overall a very enlightening read 。。。more
DoGG
，
Caste is an artificially constructed ranking of human value that sets the presumed supremacy of one group against the presumed inferiority of others。The US caste system is based on race。 This is an arbitrary shared characteristic， just like being tall or short。Slavery was an American innovation created by and for the benefit of the white elites。 "It was no merely a torn thread in an otherwise perfect cloth。 It would be closer to say that slavery provided the fabric out of which the cloth was mad Caste is an artificially constructed ranking of human value that sets the presumed supremacy of one group against the presumed inferiority of others。The US caste system is based on race。 This is an arbitrary shared characteristic， just like being tall or short。Slavery was an American innovation created by and for the benefit of the white elites。 "It was no merely a torn thread in an otherwise perfect cloth。 It would be closer to say that slavery provided the fabric out of which the cloth was made。"Subsequently， each new immigrant walked into a preexisting hierarchy。 Somewhere in the journey， Europeans became something they had never been or needed to be before。 They went from being Czech or Hungarian or Polish to white， a political designation that only has meaning when set against something not white。 。。。more
Lisette Cruz
，
Should be a required reading for every American。
Theresa Ann
，