Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for a sampler of this book.

I was about 20 pages in when I went and bought a full copy. This is much needed reading, for everyone.

The book starts with the author's titular blog post. The preface explains how this is an act of self-preservation - white people are not aware and do not carry the weight of injustice, suffering and discrimination that Eddo-Lodge bears, and so come to these discussion from an unequal place. There cannot be open discussions of racism when white people are unaware of this history, and on the defensive that they do not know what pains have been suffered, and continue to be inflicted.

It only took a few pages into Chapter 1 for me to begin to feel overwhelmed and get a sense of this weight. The prominence of American Civil Rights (combined with Anglophilic devotion to a white idyll of Britannia) means the UK-based race riots, injustice, and activist movements have not got appropriate coverage.

I cannot comprehend what it would be like to live through segregation, colour bars, and race riots, to feel ostracised and demonised by my skin, and that's the whole point. This is beyond my comprehension because whiteness blinds us to the experiences of others. I can see why people of colour would not want to talk to me about this, because it's something so alien, so 'in the past', that I don't bring that same faith into it, that this is something that shapes our world. And this is only the Histories chapter I've been able to read so far! (This is not so distant, this is parents and grandparents.)

I found this sampler to be a very confronting look at just how cruel and racist Britain is, and it's something everyone needs to be aware of before entering into discussions on race relations. We can't know where we're going without knowing where we've come from. Because you don't know what happened doesn't mean it didn't.

On a topic as important as race and racism, it is nearly impossible to review and judge a sampler book without the potential to introduce even further bias into the debate. Clearly, Renni Eddo-Lodge has strong and valid opinions and facts about the subject and will add to a controversy that has been around for a long time with no real signs of any resolution.

Clearly a cery important book. I am trying to read as much as I can from Own Voice authors both fiction and non fiction. I can definitely concede that the world and western society is set up more with white people in mind. Eddo-Lodge makes several other good points and pushes me in the direction of considering some things I hadn't yet thought of. I really aporeciate this. I'm afraid I don't agree with everything, privilaged position or not. The author makes her case well but bases a lot of her argument on sweeping generality. And I get it. I'? Not black but I have faced enough discrimination in other areas of my life to understand the anger thst comes from being forced to assume the position of a lesser person because a( the world is not set up for you and b) tjose benefitting from it are paralysed by fear. (Fear of change, fear of the unknown, fear of doing anything to help lest they misstep and get labelled racist and tone deaf for daring to interfere.) It's a difficult situation and as sucky as it is, as unfair as it is, if you are the discriminated against it will fall to you to be the educatior whether this is a role you want or not. You can absolutely opt out but if you do then you don't get to complain that people who do not live your truth are getting it wrong. There is a lot of good stuff in this book but it's been written, presented and titled in a deliberately provocative and polarising way. This saddens me deeply. Sure there are some people who would never take any of it on board but lots of people want an equal system and want to confront and eradicate their own internalised prejudices. Anger is understandable but ultimately has no place in effecting fundamental change. I do not subscribe to the unspoken rule of 'I'm white so deliver small bites of the truth well coated with sugar please'. I want honesty. I want no punches pulled. But I need facts and an open dialogue. I am willing to do the painful communication stage and educate myself. I don't need to be patted on the gead for it. But I also need to know that the end goals are the same if you want me to spend time on something. And sometimes it doesn't feel ir read here that they are. Will come back to this book and still maintain it is a necessary read.

And I'm off to Amazon to buy the whole book. I was pretty sure I'd love this but now having read the sample it's definitely a must read.