Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
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#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.

From the Publisher

“one of the most powerful nonfiction books I’d ever encountered” says Dwight Garner, New York Times“one of the most powerful nonfiction books I’d ever encountered” says Dwight Garner, New York Times

“. . . Isabel Wilkerson is one of my heroes” says Ken Burns “. . . Isabel Wilkerson is one of my heroes” says Ken Burns

“Should be required reading for humanity” says Oprah Winfrey “Should be required reading for humanity” says Oprah Winfrey

“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is a masterwork” says Hope Wabuke of NPR“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is a masterwork” says Hope Wabuke of NPR

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Trade Paperbacks (February 14, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593230272
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593230275
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.14 x 1.18 x 7.94 inches

Customers say

Customers find the book insightful, captivating, and an excellent page-turner. They praise the writing quality as well-written and brilliant. Readers describe the book as profound, powerful, and inspirational. They say it provides the context for our history and authentic history. Customers appreciate the caste system and the author’s excellent job portraying it. Opinions are mixed on the ease of use.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews