Caste

The Origins of Our Discontents

By: Isabel Wilkerson

Narrated by: Robin Miles

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NEW YORK TIMES READERS PICK: 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • “An instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions—now with a new Afterword by the author.

#1 NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, O: The Oprah Magazine, NPR, Bloomberg, The Christian Science Monitor, New York Post, The New York Public Library, Fortune, Smithsonian Magazine, Marie Claire, Slate, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist • Winner of the Carl Sandburg Literary Award • Dayton Literary Prize Finalist • PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction Finalist • PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Finalist • Kirkus Prize Finalist

“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.”

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Isabel Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.

knowledge is an unknown of new Understanding.

A complete world wide Historical investigation of our dilemma. After learning from this EXCELLENT new book, the question will be...How, and
Who will you share it with?

Wonderful! Educational and engaging.

I was really torn about whether to get this book because I had originally been seeking out a purely “escapist”/“for pleasure” type of book. While this book is definitely not that, I was moved by the importance of this book, along with others’ reviews, which were probably the biggest reason I picked it, so thank you all. I feel like I learned so much from this book. I will also say that for anyone who thinks this might be boring, I get distracted/bored easily, but this book did not bore me in the slightest. On the contrary, I would find myself outside the grocery store in my car just listening—having lost track of time due to how interesting this book is. I will admit I am fascinated by history and by good story-telling and that is what this book has in spades. Also, her voice is extremely easy to listen to.

Things I never considered

I’ve never considered America as being a cast system. I never considered that my circumstance was due to the American traditions and racial discrimination. I never thought about race being an American and not something world wide. This has opened my eyes to a lot of different things Good and bad. Once you know what’s good and bad you can govern yourself accordingly. It’s sad that just because my skin is chemically different from America’s majority I am considered less or should only aspire to be no higher than the box you put me in. I think this book should be mandatory reading for middle school up through high school. Those are the formative years and perhaps through our children we can change the world. This book was well written, easy to understand, easy to follow and it was worth every minute.

Stunning

Just finishing the book, I am not sure I have a clear mind to provide a coherent review. However, this is a stunning piece of work that everybody who are struggling to understand own thoughts on position in society and embedded racial programming should take time to absorb. I am truly grateful to Isabel Wilkerson for bringing this piece of work forth. Stunning, breathtaking, thought provoking, life altering.

Truly Amazing Book

This book was amazingly!
She hit the nail right on its head.
LET'S FIX THIS!

Startling

You might think you understand why we are where we are in 2020 in the United States. but Ms. Wilkerson makes sure that you understand you know nothing at all. This book will resonate with me for the rest of my life, and it should be required reading for every single citizen in this country. Perhaps only then, can we move forward.

Important

Perhaps the most important book you’ll read this year or any year! Especially given our current political and cultural climate.

Second next to the Holy Bible

I have been reading books for over 60 years. In my opinion this book ranks only second to the Holy Bible in terms of setting the soul free. This is not hyperbole. This is what most people already know but are unable to say it or unwilling to say it. (RBJ in Mississippi 8/16/2020). Free at last, free at last thank God Almighty free at last (MLK).
Thanks to the author Isabel Wilkerson and Oprah’s Book Club. Also Robin Miles superb performance in narrating this book.

My life is changed

This is the most important book I’ve ever read. Profound and well told, I felt like this book took puzzle pieces I knew were there and arranged them in a way that brought them together for a level of clarity I didn’t realize I would have when they were all assembled in the right places. A deep look at history through today, providing the most understanding I’ve ever had about my life, our country, our world. Thank you for writing this. Thank you so much.

Life changing

I took so long to finish this book because absorbing it’s content took time. It’s incredibly powerful and eye opening and should be required reading for every American. How can we know where we want to go if we don’t fully understand how we got here?
Thank you to Isabel Wilkerson for your brilliance and your heart breaking truths. I am different now and grateful to be.