Member Reviews

One of the hardest things about being human is unlearning our base instincts. The survival strategies we needed as small tribes in a dangerous environment are rarely relevant in the modern world.

Bias exists. This books makes an excellent academic case for showing that bias is present in all of us - and that it is (mostly) no longer a useful heuristic. It meticulously chronicles the various experiments which have been undertaken to see where bias creeps in to the decision-making process. Perhaps this isn't surprising to you - but it is useful to have it spelled out so clearly.

What works to address bias? What's just snake oil? It's harder than you might think. Some promising studies can't be replicated - others get mired in controversy. And, worse still, some people don't want to change!

Can the USA's notoriously violent and racist police reduce their biases by meditating before a shift? It's the sort of thing which would generate eye-rolls from the commentariat and fierce resistance from the "noble warriors" themselves. And, yet, the evidence suggests that it works. Sure, you can't wipe out all the structural problems of law enforcement with a few deep breaths - but it appears to be a good start.

In tech, we know that fixing "the pipeline" isn't enough. We need to make concerted efforts to correct past mistakes. The story of how MIT increased its diversity (in one faculty, on one spectrum) is an excellent model about how leadership has to want to be better.

Finally, there's an interesting section on child rearing. Something of no interest to me - but fascinating to see what some people consider "indoctrination". How do you speak to the children around you? Do you intentionally reinforce gender stereotypes? Is that harmful?

As with many modern books about bias, it mostly looks at things through a North American lens. While I'm not claiming that Europe is free of bias, the problems we have often stem from a very different background than the USA. However, there are a couple of good sections about practical examples from European research.

At its heart is a plea to take this stuff seriously. Not just in an academic setting - but in every aspect of your life. Examine what weird little biases you have, work out where they came from, try to discard them if they do no good - and then hope that, together, we can change the world.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The book is released later this year.

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An informed and important account of the depth of bias in education, through to employment and law enforcement. It is not for the faint-hearted being, for me, too long and repetitive. It doesn’t read like an academic paper - it flows well and is not jargon-driven - but for the casual but concerned reader a pruned down version would have served the purpose better.

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This has been a fascinating read for me! As someone who is aware of their unconscious bias, I wasn't sure how much I would learn from this book, but whoa, I learnt a lot! I thought it was well written and very well presented - I liked the references to research and other learnings, as it helps me understand where the author got their facts. It's a very interesting read and made me open my eyes about to how I view my bias, and how the rest of the world likely views them as well. I think this is the kind of book that should be recommended to teenagers in school to read.

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A potentially interesting subject but ultimately much too heavy-going for the casual reader to enjoy.

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The End of Bias is a book that you cannot read within one seating. It will make you analyse and consider the world and surroundings. Jessica Nordell changed my point of view, explained many threats in my life and in some way change myself - and I think it was the main reason why this book has been created.
It is a scientific book about prejudice against all of us. The author has brilliantly written about many examples from our life, showing what biases are and how they can affect people's lives. Explanation of the theme was essential for understanding what it is and how to end it. Step by step, with each page, the acknowledgement will open your eyes.

Definitely transformative, exploration. While the discrimination became our sad normality, Nordell shows that even if we think everything is running just, it could be seen as inequality or unjust from another point of view. The book is rich in stories, examples - the author did deep research before completing this work. It shows her enthusiasm and strength of the argument to explain what biases are. There is much inequality on the broad timeline, history biases or stereotypes that approach human beings from hundreds of years—lots of gender, age, or class bias that sadly exist and make our life harder. I was surprised by the other points of view and cruelty involved.
The cover is attractive, showing the contrast that people presents. It is an excellent scientific book, could be a base for future studies on biases.

Thank you, NetGalley and Granta Publications, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

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Every book I read and review starts off with the full 5 stars and this book ain't any different.

I usually read fiction but non-fiction is also cool and groovy, as long as it's not boring and doesn't use words that I've never even heard of before.

This book sounds really interesting and something I feel passionately about, so I'm hoping it'll be a high scorer, star-wise. I got a free copy in advance, thanks to NetGalley and I can't wait to get stuck into it!

The cover is simple but effective and I can't wait to get started on it when I've fished my Kindle out of it's drawer beside me... I hope it's fully charged up!

Nope, it's dead, so I'll plug it in and leave it to charge up a few percent so that I can open the book lol

There have been 14 mostly blank pages at the start of the book... is the author and/or publisher trying to add pages to the book to make it feel like it's more worth the price?

I'm loving this book so far... it's sooo different from my usual fiction and I'm really appreciating what the author is saying and it's making me realise just how good my life is in many ways compared to others - I've got a roof over my head, food in my belly and drinks available whenever I fancy quenching my thirst... there are so so many, even in rich countries like the UK, who don't have those luxuries and I admit I've been taking them for granted. Even healthcare is free at the point of use, unlike other countries in the world and all prescriptions cost the same. Hospital treatment is free, whether it's for a broken toe or a triple heart bypass (I don't even know what that is, but I bet it costs the NHS a pretty penny every time it's performed). I saw a Neurologist this morning and it was free 'cos I'm a UK-er born and bred, but there's no way I could afford it in America! That's without even considering those who live in poverty... they would be equally entitled to free healthcare, but when was the last time they had a drink of fresh water that they didn't have to beg for? When was the last time they replaced their toothbrush or even managed to afford a tube of toothpaste?

Back onto the topic of this book now though lol

I hope the author has got written permission to use all these big names, ads and music groups or they could get themselves into hot water!

Blimey Charlie! Where have the hours gone? It's taken the best part of 3 days to get this far, but other than the things I've mentioned already about using trademarks and stuff (which may have different usage rules to fiction, but I dunno about that, so I ain't knocking off a star), the days have disappeared into the ether and after I start reading I don't stop until I head to bed! It's rare to find a book like that for me, so the author should feel really proud of themselves for keeping me reading without even needing to go for a wee and my hot drinks have usually been left to get cold too, which is another sign of a good book.

I was wrong at the start of this review, thinking that the blank pages were a marketing thingybob... the text is pretty small and there are over 350 pages so maybe it was more of a gentle introduction to all these quality words throughout the rest of the book?

Just reached the conclusion and it may sound daft, but I'm starting to feel emotional about not having it to read and think about during the times that I'm asleep or doing other things online. It's seriously opened my eyes and made me think about how I can explore my own beliefs and biases and how I can adjust them to make me a better person amongst those who aren't like me. I thought I was open-minded and unjudgemental and that I was all for helping those who needed my support, but this book has made me realise that even though I do my best, I've still got a looong way to go to help others.

Just finished the book (with the exception of the notes ;-) lol) and I'm a changed person because of it... it's made me want to examine myself and my past and constantly challenge each thought - where has it come from, who introduced that thought and most importantly, why?

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The End of Bias is a transformative, groundbreaking exploration into how we can eradicate unintentional bias and discrimination, the great challenge of our age. Though the topic is a serious one, the reading is a pleasure, particularly in the way the author introduces us to an inspiring and creative set of characters devoted to finding solutions, from school classrooms, to board rooms, to police departments. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

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