Reviews for Thirteen papers in algebra

The average rating for Thirteen papers in algebra based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-05-09 00:00:00 Stephen Young This book is a game changer. It's so amazing. The scope and breadth of his argument is staggering. If you aren't familiar with the book he breaks it down like this in the introduction: "But this then is why it is important to come to see whiteness. For those in power in the West, as long as whiteness is felt to be the human condition, then it alone both defines normality and fully inhabits it. As I suggested in my opening paragraphs, the equation of being white with being human secures a position of power. White people have power and believe that they think, feel and act like and for all people; white people, unable to see their particularity, cannot take account of other people's; white people create the dominant images of the world and don't quite see that they thus construct the world in their own image; white people set standards of humanity by which they are bound to succeed and others bound to fail. most of this is not done deliberately and maliciously; there are enormous variations of power amongst white people, to do with class, gender and other factors; goodwill is not unheard of in white people's engagement with others. White power none the less reproduces itself regardless of intention, power differences and goodwill, and overwhelmingly because it is not seen as whiteness, but as normal. White people need to learn to see themselves as white, to see their particularity. In other words, whiteness needs to be made strange." Anyway, this is a book of cultural theory, and he doesn't shy away from the big words and ideas at times, then again I also found it immensely readable. If you are interested in the media, or representations of race, and you haven't read this book (I hadn't - I knew it existed and I knew the argument, but I hadn't sat down and read it) I urge you to read through it.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-01-21 00:00:00 Jerome Stewart Really fascinating book that I (admittedly) read for class. As James Baldwin said "there is now white community" ' this book, by contrast, develops a theory to explain what whiteness is and how it has managed to disguise itself as "ordinary." Watching the several movies that the author discusses in depth would probably be helpful (however I did not do this, simply skimming these parts).