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How to Argue with a Racist

History, Science, Race and Reality

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How to Argue with a Racist

By: Adam Rutherford
Narrated by: Adam Rutherford
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About this listen

The Sunday Times best seller.

As heard on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week.

Racist pseudoscience may be on the rise, but science is no ally to racists. Instead science and history can be powerful allies against bigotry, granting us the clearest view of how people actually are, rather than how we judge them to be. How to Argue with a Racist dismantles outdated notions of race by illuminating what modern genetics can and can't tell us about human difference. It is a vital manifesto for a 21st-century understanding of human evolution and variation and a timely weapon against the misuse of science to justify racism.

Please note: the updated edition includes a new preface from the author.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Adam Rutherford (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group Biological Sciences Ethics & Morality Evolution & Genetics Genetics Philosophy Racism & Discrimination Science Social Sciences Discrimination Social justice

Critic Reviews

"The ultimate anti-racism guide." (Caroline Criado Perez)

"Seriously important." (Bill Bryson)

"A fascinating debunking of racial pseudoscience." (Guardian)
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A brilliant and funny book full of thoughtful and interesting arguments that explore the popular ideas and stereotypes or race and debunks nonsense with science and critical thinking. A must-read for everyone on planet Earth

The science and logic of race

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I love the detail in this book. My issue is with my retention of the information given and I have to ensure that I am fully focused on the audio book when listening to it, otherwise I'd be rewinding certain parts to help it sink in. That being said this book is about complex issues and science, that doesn't make me headscratch too much.

Interesting read

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Biases are normal, awareness of same less so. I enjoyed Adam's exploration of the manipulation of science by racists. He captured some of the ways people have used science to justify their prejudices since colonial times. Sitting in Australia, as I do, the British used science and law to justify an attempt at genocide. The fallout is still felt and racism still apart of all of us. We all have to work on our awareness of our own biases and not them lead to harming others.

Racism the fianl frontier

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The voice of reason and science in the muddy waters of people and racism.

mindblowing

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There is a lot of genetics talked which I understood but couldn't contradict. The author claims bone density differing by race is a "ridiculous" belief. a pubmed search later Adam R is proved totally wrong. Hard to take the rest of the book seriously after that.

One fact check , one fail.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.