ebooks Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; TIME in History

Review

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful. Well-Written; Thoughtful Essays That Deserve To Be ReadBy Dr. Cathy GoodwinIf you're looking for a book about sports; you won't find it here. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presents a group of well written essays; analytical and timely.He criticizes those who attack political correctness; noting that more young people today are aware of discrimination. He offers three steps to "boost our political engines:" educate children in critical thinking; stop diluting democracy by pressing uninformed people to vote even if they're not interested; and broadcast a "non partisan fact check and logical analysis" after every political speech. Idealistic; but accurate.His frank discussion of the effects of racism could be applied to other forms of discrimination; including ageism. "When whites turn to look at us;" he says; "the first word that pops into their heads is 'black.'" And after a certain age; people are defined by the number associated with their birth date. Yet when he gives a list of prejudices; age isn't mentioned; presumably included with "and more."I wasn't expecting the strong chapter on women; hitting the high points of sex discrimination. He points out that women are still judged by looks; referring to the song in Chorus Line about the woman who got more roles after plastic surgery; he notes that women in the media aren't real. Yet the increasing demands for "looking good" have created an industry of waxing and polishing. Women appear in websites and social media with professional make-up; perfect hair; and smart little dresses that show off their bare arms. Women in public appear in stilettos.Surprisingly; Abdul-Jabbar doesn't mention the WNBA in the section on women and sports; he acknowledges that society isn't kind to strong women; yet omits mention of stars like Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi.However; he's really solid when he writes about the unrealistic admiration we have for stars as role models; we don't really have a land of opportunity. If he'd been a foot shorter; he says; he'd be a high school history teacher trying to save for retirement. The deck is stacked against the poor; especially those who are black and poor.The last part of the book offers a road map for change. I agree with all - especially the part about reforming the bail system - except the suggestion to strengthen unions. Unions may have been effective once. Now; when you talk to people who are actually in unions; you often hear stories of favoritism and even corruption. I have heard some people say; "I'm glad we have the union;" but I've heard others say the union actually harmed them by enforcing rules with unintended consequences.Finally; Abdul-Jabbar takes on issues of aging. Here he's on shakier ground. While he notes that we shouldn't point to star athletes as proof that anyone can make it; he cites examples of exceptional seniors in politics; art and athletics. The truth is; people age in such diverse ways you can't generalize. Not everyone can run for president at 75; but you can't assume nobody can.Getting rid of stereotypes is an uphill battle. Almost every day we see some insult directed at seniors on Facebook; and we see well-intended humor that's totally insulting; a typical example is an older woman dancing; with comments about how "cute" she is. Once I commented about an ad where children wore Halloween costumes as "old people" complete with gray hair and canes; people said; "Lighten up."I hope Abdul-Jabbar keeps writing about this topic; although he gets some of it wrong. Earlier Social Security is less critical than early Medicare; and retirement age isn't about health issues: it's about overt discrimination in the workplace. The real solution is to encourage seniors to venture into entrepreneurship.He refers to AARP as an advocate for seniors; but it's actually a for-profit insurance company that actually does little to help an aging population. AARP perpetuates stereotypes; serves primarily the healthy-and-wealthy segment; and ignores age discrimination in the workplace. AARP endorsed a Dummies book about getting jobs over 50; which I reviewed here; it's easily the worst book on careers I've ever seen.Overall; the book is extremely thoughtful and well-written. It's encouraging to see a basketball star use his fame to speak out freely and say things that need to be said. Unfortunately; I suspect the book will find an audience among those who are predisposed to agree with him; so he'll be preaching to the choir rather than converting the biased.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. A Transparent Look at Our Society 2016By Kindle CustomerKareem Abdul-Jabber; Hall of Fame professional basketball player; has written an insightful book examining some of the many challenges confronting America today: race relations; gender inequality; class disparity; sexism; aging; and the toxic politics of the 2016 race for the White House. The author has penned 12 books ; and this may be his most important. He urges us to use reason; insight; and critical thinking when dealing with the challenges of today. The book is loaded with factual studies; references to social media; and a lifetime of experiences from this UCLA History Major Scholar-Athlete.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Timely and Educational BookBy Arizona DudeAs a retired high school counselor and basketball coach who was raised to understand the difference between right and wrong; practice the golden rule and look at both sides of issues I found Kareem's book both provocative and inspiring as well as fair. In our complex world it is so easy to take the polarizing road of black and white rather than think critically and recognize our humanity. Kareem serves in my mind as perhaps the finest role model out there today. He takes the time to "get it" and explains it in an easy to read manner. Since I was personally uncomfortable with any of the political candidates Kareem received my write-in vote and I am most certainly a baby booming WASP. Just an aside on Kareem's world. I was sitting in the front row at the University of Washington when UCLA visited. During the pre game warm up one of our cheerleader; 5' tall and from my dorm; climbed up on another cheerleader's shoulders and patted Kareem on the top of his head as he was at the end of a shooting line. Kareem turned and pushed them and the Dawg Pack went nuts. I take pride in that I grabbed the cheerleader and told him he was way out of line and that was in the late 60's. I look forward to reading Kareem's future writings on our political and social challenges and also on Coach Wooden who along with Coach Smith were models.