Name: Mediocre
ISBN: 9781529353792

Ijeoma Oluo

Mediocre

From the author of the New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, a history of white male America and a scathing indictment of what it has cost us socially, economically, and politically After the election of Donald Trump, and the escalation of white male rage and increased hostility toward immigrants that came with him, New York Times-bestselling author Ijeoma Oluo found herself in conversation with Americans around the country, pondering one central question: How did we get here? In this ambitious survey of the last century of American history, Oluo answers that question by pinpointing white men's deliberate efforts to subvert women, people of color, and the disenfranchised. Through research, interviews, and the powerful, personal writing for which she is celebrated, Oluo investigates the backstory of America's growth, from immigrant migration to our national ethos around ingenuity, from the shaping of economic policy to the protection of sociopolitical movements that fortify male power. In the end, she shows how white men have long maintained a stranglehold on leadership and sorely undermined the pursuit of happiness for all.

The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America

Chau Anh N

Jayme Bosio

In all honesty, I picked up this title because I’m a woman working in a female-dominated field where many of our directors are white men. However, this book digs so much deeper in the history of our entrenched system of white male supremacy that I feel I have been given a new powerful tool to help me better understand my world.

Stephanie Ridiculous

A great walkthrough of 200 years of history. While not exhaustive, Oluo provides great insight into aspects of our culture that existed at the beginning of this nation and still persist to this day, giving ample examples of how they've played out and the harm they've caused. I definitely recommend this book!

Kat A

Good historical and political overview of white men's power in America. Couldn't help but relate to many personal experiences and the experiences of friends, especially at work. Bottom line, we aren't going to make progress if we keep elevating white men's ideas that remain the status quo, and rejecting the ideas of women and people of color because they are too "angry", "passionate", "challenging", etc. We need diversity in leadership. Toxic masculinity and white supremacy hurt EVERYONE, not just women or people of color.

Cindy Lieberman

Things I should have learned in school but were never part of the curriculum. A well-researched look at 100 years of suppression of women and BIPOC people. This book. Made me. So angry. Required reading! You’ll never look at the NFL the same way again.

From the author of the New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, a subversive history of white male American identity. What happens to a country that tells generation after generation of white men that they deserve power? What happens when success is defined by status over women and people of color, instead of by actual accomplishments? Through the last 150 years of American history -- from the post-reconstruction South and the mythic stories of cowboys in the West, to the present-day controversy over NFL protests and the backlash against the rise of women in politics -- Ijeoma Oluo exposes the devastating consequences of white male supremacy on women, people of color, and white men themselves. Mediocre investigates the real costs of this phenomenon in order to imagine a new white male identity, one free from racism and sexism. As provocative as it is essential, this book will upend everything you thought you knew about American identity and offers a bold new vision of American greatness.

Sahi K

As someone who loves reading arcs, this was one book I decided not to request an advance copy of. I guess I knew even then that this would require some patient reading and preferably no deadlines. And it truly hits different in the current circumstances. 

I think the impact of any political book that we read this year will be colored by our feelings about the violent insurrection of Jan 6th. And considering that this book is about white male mediocrity and it’s power over every sphere of influence in this country, it feels doubly relevant after the second failed impeachment trial of 45 in the senate. The author links specific events from history to contemporaneous happenings and her own personal experiences, to show us how every structure and system in this country is built to prop up white male supremacy by oppressing everyone else. And if you follow this thread from the days of slavery to today, you realize that the failure of the second impeachment trial was inevitable - these systems are working exactly the way they were designed to - powerful mediocre white men will come to the rescue of other powerful mediocre white men so that they can consolidate all the power within their own small group and marginalize everyone else. 

Discussing topics ranging from various fields like higher education, feminism, politics, sports, employment, housing etc , the author shows how in every field, the white men who have historically been in power have spent considerable amount of effort and resources to maintain the racist, sexist status quo. The author’s writing is very engaging and accessible, piercing in the way it forces us all to acknowledge our own complicity in propping up the existing white supremacist systems, while also reminding us that concentrated power in the hands of a few mediocre white men doesn’t only cause harm to women and people of color and other marginalized groups - it also causes equal harm to a majority of white men who are poor or disadvantaged in other ways, but whose feeling of entitlement prevents them from seeing the truth and instead blame everyone except white men for their problems. 

I am sure there are many who will have a knee jerk reaction to even the title of this book. But going into this with an open mind will let any reader understand what the author is talking about. Despite the very difficult read this was, especially the parts where she talks about the various ways she has been harassed and threatened by white men due to her writings, I was really struck by her ending it on an emotional and hopeful note; and a call for action - because the author believes that everyone in this country can find the strength and conviction within themselves to help create a healthier version of white male identity; one that doesn’t depend on oppressing others - all we lack is the imagination. This is a very impactful and thought provoking read and I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to understand why we are where we are in our country.

Rachel Benton

I am reading this for 2021 booktube prize. I will rate this sometime in April.

Caitlin Berger

This is such a necessary and poignant book!!! Hits the nail on the head with what plagues our society. I loved the choice of stories and topics Oluo chose to illustrate her points. Absolutely necessary to read!

Kimberley 🦉

From the author of the Sunday Times and number 1 New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race, a subversive history of white male American identity. 'Deftly combines history and sociological study with personal narrative, and the result is both uncomfortable and illuminating' Washington Post 'Ijeoma's sharp yet accessible writing about the American racial landscape made her 2018 book So You Want to Talk About Race an invaluable resource . . . Mediocre builds on this exemplary work, homing in on the role of white patriarchy in creating and upholding a system built to disenfranchise anyone who isn't a white male' TIME What happens to a country that tells generation after generation of white men that they deserve power? What happens when success is defined by status over women and people of colour, instead of actual accomplishments? Through the last 150 years of American history -- from the post-Reconstruction South and the mythic stories of cowboys, to the present-day controversy over NFL protests and the backlash against the rise of women in politics -- Ijeoma Oluo exposes the devastating consequences of white male supremacy on women, people of colour, and white men themselves. As provocative as it is essential, Mediocre investigates the real costs of white male power in order to imagine a new white male identity, one free from racism and sexism.