This is an important start to a journey we all need to take. It is not a Black persons responsibility to teach us why we are overtly or passively racist, we need to undo the internal prejudices that we have created. An easy to read, clear and direct style this is a great way to start to unpick your own thoughts.

A MUST READ.

This book is vitally important and so very needed. An educational voice and important conversations, everything about this book makes me want to recommend it to everyone I know.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I can't actually give a review on this as I have not read it and do not plan to read it (as I do not read much non-fiction). I do not actually remember requesting this book but just saw it sitting in my Netgalley shelf so unsure as to whether it was just sent on some sort of glitch or if I accidentally requested this instead of something else, I'm not sure. But the 3 star rating is purely because I have to put a rating to submit this "review" and do not want my rating to be affected by a book I will not read and did not request.

Extremely informative and emotive to read. I found that I couldnt put it down but also that it was too heavy to read in one go.
Kendi really draws you in and you can feel the strength in his words. I'd say this was a very important read for every generation.

A book that everyone should read!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchanged for an honest review.

Important, though I think I absorbed the text better listening on audio than I did reading the physical book.

This book is by no means an easy read, however it is wildly important, thought-provoking and could be life changing for many people. The more people reading this book and paying attention the better the world will be for it.

I’m UK-based and I’ve since heard this book did much better in the US, this isn’t a criticism of the book as such it’s simply that especially for the first half the experience is very much black, American, male, school experience and childhood that has parallels in the UK but not exactly. Strangely enough this is not a memoir, but it is very much rooted in lived experience and it therefore has unfamiliar beats. The definitions of a thing and the ‘anti-‘ version were really helpful for reframing an approach and way of thinking about these things but overall it was not particularly readable, not just because the subject matter was uncomfortable but also because it was further from my personal experience which is why this review is so delayed. But we don’t have to read to see what we already know.

An interesting look into not just racism but the active opposition and resistance needed to be anti racist. Not being Black myself of course I can only critique to so much knowledge and awareness but I definitely found certain chapters and passages to be revelatory and helpful in my own journey to actively call out racism where I see it, whether it be in others or myself. The only chapter that seemed a bit of a miss for me was the ‘White’ chapter as it contradicts other Black voices I’ve heard speak out about reverse racism as a myth, the argument of racism vs. discrimination or prejudice. Will definitely look more into this but it felt out place against the rest of the book. All the same a high recommend.

READ THIS BOOK! I literally can't put it any simpler. This is a must-read book for everyone and it should be promoted in schools, colleges, universities, workplaces and every public platform.

This is a really good book and it's no surprise that it's sold so many copies. Many people would benefit from reading this book. It's thoughtful, clearly written, and sensitive. Highly recommended.

A must-read. This book opened my eyes to many topics. Excellently researched and engaging throughout.

I was really keen to read this book and it did not disappoint. Kendi's main argument, which he demonstrates across different subjects of the course of the book, is that it's not enough to agree that racism is bad, but you have to be actively against racism, 'antiracist' or else you are passively supporting structural racism in society. The book gently, but firmly reiterates that we all need to do the work of being antiracist, especially white people.

A stunning, discomforting and thought-provoking read. I took my time with this one, I didn't speed read because I needed to process the issues and concepts while I also reflected on my own thinking.

Kendi writes in an accessible way that keeps you invested in the journey. It's not overly academic and it has a pragmatic approach.

I've learnt, I've appreciated and I'll keep thinking.

An important book for anyone willing to engage and consider what it means to be an anti-racist. This book is not a guide but a part-memoir, part historical lesson that explores the concept of anti-racism from the author's personal experiences. I found the author's stories more engaging than the factual information included because it's really dense and at times takes away from the points he's making. When he presents his experiences and tries to fit them into historical or societal context, it can be confusing. I don't fully agree with all the arguments he presented - such as his take on racism against white people and the chapter on sexuality - but I got the sense that he's willing to continue to learn, and asks that the reader do the same. This is not an easy read especially if you're new to anti-racist work but it's worth diving into if only to look at ideas that perhaps you haven't considered before.

This was my first finished read of 2021. Although I started this last year, I ended up putting it aside as I found it difficult to engage with the material as an eBook. I ended up listening to the last 75% of this as an audiobook via my local library and enjoyed the experience of the audiobook, narrated by the author, more than the eBook.

It was informative, engaging and challenged implicit bias and belief, actively guiding us to become antiracist. An in-depth read that's perfect for those who want to delve deeper into the issue of racism and how to make a positive personal change by becoming actively antiracist.

I am ashamed to say that I have only gotten a quarter of the way through this book. I haven't returned to it since putting it down during the summer. I will try the audio version as I believe that will work better for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for a review copy.

Such an important read explaining how we need to be actively anti-racist as opposed to just not being racist. We are in this together.

Kendi writes with a fast, absorbing pace but with such depth of content that I found myself re-reading passages over and again. Combining autobiographical reflections with rigorous sociological and historical analyses, 'How to Be an Antiracist' demonstrates with clarity the vulnerability, hope and persistence required by every single person to fight racism. Kendi explores how he came to see, and then to unpick, the White supremacist values he had been fed throughout his life and had shaped his sense of self and of 'race'. Through this narrative, Kendi makes clear the abhorrent constructiveness of prevalent conceptions of 'race' in what is known as the West and the deeply damaging effect this continues to have. Kendi's discussion of the parallels he has always found between his personal experiences of cancer and racism in his life, through which he compels society to fight the latter with the vigour, rationality and urgency that we do the former.