Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book. I have given The End of Bias by Jessica Nordell two out of five stars ⭐️⭐️

This book was very informative and an eye-opener for the reader regarding all different kinds of bias’, especially unintentional discrimination bias. Jessica Nordell has done a heavy amount of research for this book. Nordell explains how bias is hard to change in a person but that’s not to say that there isn’t hope and the ability to do so.

I found this book didn’t flow as well as I would’ve liked it to however, I commend the author on their hard work and dedication which has gone into this insightful book.

I expected this book to have a slightly different angle, focusing more on the science, but I was pleasantly surprised (and evidently so was the author) to find it take a more personal, behavioural turn. The themes are very current, the observations very relevant to current culture and it really makes you realise how the world around you is shaping the way you act, perceive people and react. I feel this book should be mandatory reading for a lot of people, especially those in fields discussed with the book - policing, teaching etc and management in any company. It really helps to put triggers in your mind when you encounter a situation to stop and think about what you might be unintentionally conveying by your actions. Simple steps to change for everyone, and we might just get somewhere as a whole. Thanks to netgalley for the advance copy.

As someone who trains scientists in tackling bias in peer review this book was right down my street with lots of useful resources and examples. Thought-provoking and interesting, I will be recommending to my colleagues.

Sorry for the delay in reviewing this book, I enjoyed the concept and the ideas in this book, being on the receiving end of conscious and sub conscious bias due to gender discrimination and racial discrimination the end of Bias needs to come, it's on it's way. I doubt I will see it in my life time, but it is possible over time.

A really thought-provoking book, but one that didn't feel as accessible as some of the others that do really well in this field. It felt to me like it could be a lot shorter, and that points were being reinforced over and over again.

It was a little dry in places but this is such an important and timely topic that I wanted to keep reading anyway. We all have so much to confront in terms of unconscious bias and this book was really useful in revealing how ingrained into society it is.

"Implicit bias affects us all, every day of our lives. But it can be overcome. Here's how we begin to change our minds.

Implicit bias leads us to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, body type and a host of other factors. It robs organizations of talent, science of breakthroughs, art of wisdom, politics of insight, individuals of their futures, and communities of justice.

But implicit bias is a problem that can be solved. For the past thirty years, scientists, psychologists, teachers and entrepreneurs have been coming up with ways to overcome our biases and end unconscious discrimination.

In this landmark book, Nordell meets the people and organisations whose discoveries are set to change the world, and examines how we might begin to eliminate the biases that have settled in our societies, and even in our own minds."

This is a very interesting and eye opening read. Written in an accessible and engaging way, though it is long and any one not used to reading non fiction other than easily digestable self help books, may struggle to get through this.

A very 'now' subject so I treated this with a healthy degree of scepticism. However my bias was misplaced! This is not a bandwagon-jumping expose of wake issues, rather an interesting experiment in our biases and how research may be helping to unlock.

The End of Bias by Nordell is a brilliant read. Nordell provides multiple areas of interest in an array of case studies and includes the references for further studying and checking (which is always good to me!). An incredibly thought-provoking book that combines psychology tidbits, neurology, sociology, gender, lgbt+ and women studies, as well as more mainstream areas of tech, politics and history as well as issues of current society. This was overall an incredibly engaging read with a lot of science available in a readable and understandable format and conversation that I would recommend to anyone. Especially those in the young adult or adolescent groups as a necessary read to understand the unknown bias we face in our lives without noticing.
I received an arc copy for review and leave this view voluntarily

An interesting book, impeccably researched. Certainly one to, at least, make you think and, at most, change.

It has taken me a while to read this book, not. because it is not interesting but because each page is so thought provoking and stimulating that I wanted to take my time to absorb it.

Jessica Nordell has provided a well researched and comprehensive book that explains how prejudices and biases are formed from an early age and then deeply embedded in adulthood. She provides real life examples and case studies which bring the theory to life and make it very relatable. Although firmly rooted in science and research, the writing is very human and accessible to all.

This is not a passive read; I found myself questioning my own unconscious bias and reevaluating my responses to everyday situations. I have recommended the book to many others as I am sure many people would find it equally informative and inspiring in encouraging us to creating a more inclusive, open and fair culture.

Thank you to Jessica Nordell, the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nordell examines a wide range of systemic biases to demonstrate how ingrained in all aspects of society our preconceptions are. The book is divided into three sections to examine the cognitive mechanisms; how habits might be mended and how as a society we need to create a reset button. Nordell has clearly immersed herself in the topic providing a wealth of case studies, but is honest enough to address her own bias and privilege making her content in many ways more truthful.
At times alarming, this book should encourage us all to take a pause before assigning a label. Written in an engaging style, The End of Bias, does leave more questions unanswered than answered, but the hope is that a dialogue will begin to make society a more level playing field.

This book made me question so many things I thought I knew about activism, and prejudice, and I can't thank it enough for that! I recommend this book to anyone who takes part in social justice work or who wants to improve their understanding of the world.

I love that the book provides referenced studies and that it combines different studies, such as sociology, neuroscience, politics, and others to give a deep look into this topic.

It was a bit difficult to get into the book in the first few pages, but it is definitely a thought-provoking book that I would highly recommend!

The main interest in the book is in the detailed case histories of organisations which have reduced bias. In all cases, and Nordell is careful to point this out, it comes down to a mixture of personal work and cultural/organisational work - so the power of diversity is only unleashed in a 'learning' environment where people see the differences between themselves but opt to learn from those differences, and for that to happen, the culture needs to make that possible. There's also reference to systematic cultural change needed throughout society, and that's perhaps the hardest to achieve.

Full review on my blog https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2021/11/13/book-review-jessica-nordell-the-end-of-bias/

Bias is a interesting subject. While some people try to remove bias from their lives, which is the main topic of Jessica Nordell's End of Bias, others are embracing it. Fox News, social media, etc, polarise society by reinforcing bias and prejudice. So while it's great that many of the case studies in the book are taking positive action, it seems society as a whole unfortunately is moving in the opposite direction.

I disagreed with some sections, such as the use of IAT tests to predict prejudice. Having done a test, it's pretty obvious you can get whatever result you want by the ordering of the questions. I felt the book focused too heavily on racial bias, but I suspect the volume of research and the active projects tackling it help to demonstrate biased behaviours. The end sections were interesting, with suggestions of living an examined life to remove your own biases.

The book is certainly worth a read - well researched and clearly written - highly recommended.

Anyone who is not an able, white man understands bias in that they may no longer even recognise the extent to which they suffer from it: it's simply a part of everyday life. White men will always come first. The able will come before the disabled. Jobs, promotions, higher salaries are the preserve of the white man. Even when those who wouldn't pass the medical become a part of an organisation it's rare that their views are heard, that their concerns are acknowledged. It's personally appalling and degrading for the individuals on the receiving end of the bias but it's not just the individuals who are negatively impacted.

If talent - in all its forms - is not being utilised there's an impact on the success of companies and on culture, on life in general - we are wasting a valuable asset. You might argue that there are laws to prevent discrimination but laws create a floor: people determine the ceiling. Laws simply limit how bad discrimination can be. Most worryingly of all, some of the bias actually comes from the people who suffer bias. It's unconscious - say in the difference between how a teacher might comfort a young girl or boy or which gender they might suggest should behave a little more quietly. We might suggest that a girl's clothing is pretty - but we'd never say that to a boy. Not quite so unconscious are the punishments meted out to black students which wouldn't be given to their white counterparts for the same infractions. Women are considered aggressive, whereas their male counterparts are forceful or determined.

Jessica Nordell opens the book by telling us about Ben Barres. Now, Ben had been born Barbara Barres and had transitioned recently but was worried by how he would be accepted at a conference where he was presenting some of his work. He needn't have worried. On the day, he felt he had more authority, that what he said was accepted more readily. Finally, he overheard someone say that his work was better than his sister's.

The book primarily deals with the effect of bias on the black man and the white woman. I was left sickened by the thought of what the black woman must suffer. A little disappointingly, it considers the effects of disadvantage but not the consequences of unearned advantage. It is also based on populations in the USA and occasionally this meant that it was difficult for someone resident outside the US to relate to the precise circumstances. The UK doesn't have such a high proportion of Hispanic residents - but bias is bias, where ever you find it and this is an excellent starting point to correct the situation. Any criticisms I make are very minor and possibly quite picky. It's a stunning book and a surprisingly easy read for such a major subject and I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

You'll find yourself shelving this book next to We Need to Talk About Money by Otegha Uwagba.

This is a definite must-read. In The End of Bias, Jessica Nordell examines the roots of many of our conscious and unconscious biases, and shows us that changing them, that lowering prejudice towards the other, is possible. The book is very well researched and covers many studies/interventions (mostly successful) to reduce prejudice.

As with other books I've read on this topic, at a given point I was despairing because the message I got was "this has to come from management and we're doomed otherwise to change workplace culture". However, in Nordell's book, there's a chapter about interventions in which the general population is targeted. If we lower general prejudice, then as a collective we can be better in the workplace, and be better allies. We might not be able to change the way hiring practices are done, for example, but we can contribute to making those in the minority (in my case, women in STEM) feel appreciated and heard, and not just perceived as tokens (by themselves---ourselves---and others).

I really recommend this book. I highlighted many parts of it and I am planning to follow up on quite a few of the studies mentioned.

This review is based on an ARC of this book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Granta Publications for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I have read quite a few about the climate crisis, feminism, and anti-racism.
The End of Bias: A Beginning by Jessica Nordell is a must read. It took me a while to read it, but, I learnt sooooo much. I expected the book to teach me a few things about discrimination. It actually covered so many areas!

Here are some examples in a completely random order:

- The case study of a pre-school in Sweden was fascinating. As an educator, it made me so aware of how often I used gendered terms to address groups (ladies/boys/girls) We'd never address just one child, or 2 children like that (Hello boy/girl, bye boy and girl) but it is a common greeting in primary schools (hello boys and girls) Teachers also have a lower tolerance threshold for certain behaviour depending the gender of the child - as they noticed when they filmed classrooms. The book described concrete measures and the subsequent changes in the well-being of children!

- Police officers' "tunnel vision" and the dire consequences for certain communities in the US. The difference between "warrior training" vs compassionate methods such as mindfulness and community outreach was stark. How do we fight dehumanisation of Black and Latino people?

- How do CEOs view their teams and hire employees, and how effective is diversity training? This part reminded me of conversations I've had with friends who worked in recruitment in London,who were told to focus on finding people with "easy names", attractive and young.

I could talk about this book for hours! Get it, you won't regret it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you NetGalley and Granta Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of the book by NetGalley but the opinions in this review are my own.

I thought that The End of Bias was well researched and written to grab the attention. It’s definitely a thought provoking read as I was thinking well after finishing it about the ways in which I myself am biased.