First published 1975
Thomas Sowell draws on his teaching experience at Cornell, UCLA, and Amherst to examine how economic forces shape racial outcomes in America. The Stanford economist argues that market mechanisms often work differently than conventional wisdom suggests when it comes to race relations. Sowell challenges readers to reconsider assumptions about discrimination, employment patterns, and economic mobility across different ethnic groups. He brings insights from his academic research and his popular writing for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fortune to bear on these complex questions. The book offers readers a framework for understanding how economic incentives and constraints influence racial dynamics in housing, education, and labor markets.
Genres: race, american, political-science, economics, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, challenging-assumptions
Setting: America, Cornell, Stanford, UCLA, Amherst
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
290 pages · Paperback · Longman Publishing Group