Author: Michael Kimmey
Genre: Non-fiction
“Sociologist Michael Kimmel, one of the leading writers on men and masculinity in the world today, has spent hundreds of hours in the company of America’s angry white men from white supremacists to men’s rights activists to young students in pursuit of an answer. Angry White Men presents a comprehensive diagnosis of their fears, anxieties, and rage.”
This was my choice for February’s ONTD reading challenge. Going into it, I thought this book would be a little less emotional in terms of writing. I couldn’t helpt but feel like the writing was almost absolving white men of responsibility for the way they choose to be
Angry White Men basically told me what I’ve also known about angry white men. Mediocre white guys who are incensed that their mediocrity is being emphasized now that more talented, diverse people are being introduced to their way of life. I’ve known that for quite a while. While Kimmel does dive deeply into the history of angry white men (spoiler alert: they’ve always been miserable) and learned a lot of things I probably wouldn’t have encountered being a black woman living in New York, born from immigrant parents.
I just couldn’t get passed all the head patting and hand holding. I didn’t need the book to read as a 400-page lashing of white men in America, but the incredible effort to draw out sympathy for this sorry guys was just too much. I probably gave myself several wrinkles twisting up my face every time Kimmel gave an example of a misguided racist who voted against his own progress because he was too stupid to step out of his own echo chamber. Kimmel would have an easier time getting Sean Spicer to speak in complete sentences than making me exert any empathy for the men he profiled in his book.
To sum it up, this book was well researched, the writing style was easy to read and comprehend, and the history given in this book is valuable if you have no idea why white guys are the way they are. However, the lack of accountability given to these men when it came to the results of their rage put me off the book as a whole. Read it for reference, but not for fun.
I’m super excited to start on my first ever NetGalley ebook! It’s called Rasputin’s Supernatural Dating Service by David D. Hammons. I’m not usually into fantasy or whatever but I’m a designer so a good cover will catch my attention in no time flat.
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