Writings on the Wall Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White (Audible Audio Edition) Kareem AbdulJabbar Raymond Obstfeld Ben Adduchio Hachette Audio Books
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Best-selling author, basketball legend, and cultural commentator Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores the heart of issues that affect Americans today.
Since retiring from professional basketball as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, six-time MVP and Hall of Fame inductee Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has become a lauded observer of culture and society, a New York Times best-selling author, and a regular contributor to The Washington Post, TIME magazine and TIME.com.
He now brings that keen insight to the fore in Writings on the Wall Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White, his most incisive and important work of nonfiction in years. He uses his unique blend of erudition, street smarts, and authentic experience in essays on the country's seemingly irreconcilable partisan divide, both racial and political; parenthood; and his own experiences as an athlete, an African American, and a Muslim. The audiobook is not just a collection of expositions; he also offers keen assessments of and solutions to problems such as racism in sports while speaking candidly about his experiences on the court and off.
Timed for publication as the nation debates whom to send to the White House, the combination of plain talk on issues, life lessons, and personal stories places Writings on the Wall squarely in the middle of the conversation, as many of Abdul-Jabbar's topics are at the top of the national agenda. Whether it is sparring with Donald Trump, within the pages of TIME magazine, or full-length features in The New York Times Magazine, writers, critics, and readers have come to agree on what The Washington Post observed Abdul-Jabbar "has become a vital, dynamic and unorthodox cultural voice."
Writings on the Wall Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White (Audible Audio Edition) Kareem AbdulJabbar Raymond Obstfeld Ben Adduchio Hachette Audio Books
I've just finished Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's brilliant "Writings on the Wall", so let me get this out of the way: He used to be the greatest basketball player in the game, a living legend. Since then KAJ has made a career as a thoughtful pundit following his own path of logic and facts to reach wonderfully humanist conclusions. I always reach for his columns when I see them, and recently read his delightful novel extending the Sherlock Holmes legend with "Mycroft Holmes". It reminded me that Mycroft was the model for Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe, and portrays the young Mycroft as a man of action, as Stout over the many novels tells us that Wolfe, too, once was a guerrilla warrior in the Balkans, when he was young.KAJ builds his case on each topic point by point, citing easily verifiable facts, using straightforward interpretations of them, well-known examples from the various forms of popular media, leading to logical, rational conclusions about where our society is, where it's going, and what it needs to change. He's the opposite of supposed-pundit, Ann Coulter, who takes one pedestrian fact, a second half-truth, one total un-truth, then extrapolates wildly from them to a bizarre conclusion that's trumpeted as "fact". KAJ does none of that. Nor does he engage in trying to find obscure references to cloud the issue and puff up his ego. There aren't references Kant, Kierkegaard, or Martin Heidegger. Ok, there's a brief reference to Camus. But KAJ is more likely to refer to better known figures.
He's particularly astute on the issue of racism and how it affects all of us. KAJ doesn't simply parrot the usual liberal lines, or that ones put forth by African-American pundits. As usual, he takes his own, astute path, delicately dissecting racism and how people face it. I found I could have been talking to myself, as I believe it's not whether or not we are racist: We all are. It's how we deal with it. Imagine it is a chronic disease. Do you embrace it, deny it, or recognize and try to cure it in yourself, or at least ameliorate its worst effects?
One of the most telling moments is where Kareem tells us about being called the n-word when he was in high school, when he was an NBA star, and "last week" when he wrote a column someone didn't like. That as famous and renowned as he is, he's STILL subject to the basest verbal attack that can be levied against a Black man in America.
As THE most prominent American Muslim since the death of Muhammad Ali (a dear friend of his with a totally opposite personality) his explanation of his faith and tolerance of other faiths and non-faith philosophies isn't forced or phony at all, but a genuine humanist view. His deep, deep love of America, especially our Constitution if easily reflected in his desire to make it better through constructive criticism.
I would like to think that had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar been 5' 10" instead of 7' 2'', and physically inept (like me) rather than fantastically gifted, his writing would still be as widely read and his ideas which, IMHO, tower over his hook shot, would still command great interest. I don't think I've read a non-fictional treatise that hit me as hard and made me think as much since Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World".
I think of other former athletes whose mark on the world put their sports in the past, whether I agreed with them or not: Byron "Whizzer" White, Supreme Court Justice. QB Jack Kemp, Congressman and architect of a new conservative thought. And longtime Senator Bill Bradley who, oh yeah, helped the Knicks win an NBA title. Add to the list Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, political and social thinker and constructive critic, who, a long time ago was a great basketball player.
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Writings on the Wall Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White (Audible Audio Edition) Kareem AbdulJabbar Raymond Obstfeld Ben Adduchio Hachette Audio Books Reviews
Kareem Abdul-Jabber, Hall of Fame professional basketball player, has written an insightful book examining some of the many challenges confronting America today race relations, gender inequality, class disparity, sexism, aging, and the toxic politics of the 2016 race for the White House. The author has penned 12 books , and this may be his most important. He urges us to use reason, insight, and critical thinking when dealing with the challenges of today. The book is loaded with factual studies, references to social media, and a lifetime of experiences from this UCLA History Major Scholar-Athlete.
I’ll agree with most of what Kareem wrote. I have my disagreements as well. Quite frankly, this is exactly what he wanted. Freedom of opinion, critical thinking and formulating your thoughts. I believe this book ought to be read by many because of the various topics Kareem writes about, all of them relevant to our society. You don’t have to agree but even if you do, there will be a thought process behind your words and opinion.
If you're looking for a book about sports, you won't find it here. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presents a group of well written essays, analytical and timely.
He criticizes those who attack political correctness, noting that more young people today are aware of discrimination. He offers three steps to "boost our political engines" educate children in critical thinking; stop diluting democracy by pressing uninformed people to vote even if they're not interested; and broadcast a "non partisan fact check and logical analysis" after every political speech. Idealistic, but accurate.
His frank discussion of the effects of racism could be applied to other forms of discrimination, including ageism. "When whites turn to look at us," he says, "the first word that pops into their heads is 'black.'" And after a certain age, people are defined by the number associated with their birth date. Yet when he gives a list of prejudices, age isn't mentioned, presumably included with "and more."
I wasn't expecting the strong chapter on women, hitting the high points of sex discrimination. He points out that women are still judged by looks, referring to the song in Chorus Line about the woman who got more roles after plastic surgery; he notes that women in the media aren't real. Yet the increasing demands for "looking good" have created an industry of waxing and polishing. Women appear in websites and social media with professional make-up, perfect hair, and smart little dresses that show off their bare arms. Women in public appear in stilettos.
Surprisingly, Abdul-Jabbar doesn't mention the WNBA in the section on women and sports; he acknowledges that society isn't kind to strong women, yet omits mention of stars like Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi.
However, he's really solid when he writes about the unrealistic admiration we have for stars as role models; we don't really have a land of opportunity. If he'd been a foot shorter, he says, he'd be a high school history teacher trying to save for retirement. The deck is stacked against the poor, especially those who are black and poor.
The last part of the book offers a road map for change. I agree with all - especially the part about reforming the bail system - except the suggestion to strengthen unions. Unions may have been effective once. Now, when you talk to people who are actually in unions, you often hear stories of favoritism and even corruption. I have heard some people say, "I'm glad we have the union," but I've heard others say the union actually harmed them by enforcing rules with unintended consequences.
Finally, Abdul-Jabbar takes on issues of aging. Here he's on shakier ground. While he notes that we shouldn't point to star athletes as proof that anyone can make it, he cites examples of exceptional seniors in politics, art and athletics. The truth is, people age in such diverse ways you can't generalize. Not everyone can run for president at 75, but you can't assume nobody can.
Getting rid of stereotypes is an uphill battle. Almost every day we see some insult directed at seniors on Facebook, and we see well-intended humor that's totally insulting; a typical example is an older woman dancing, with comments about how "cute" she is. Once I commented about an ad where children wore Halloween costumes as "old people" complete with gray hair and canes; people said, "Lighten up."
I hope Abdul-Jabbar keeps writing about this topic, although he gets some of it wrong. Earlier Social Security is less critical than early Medicare, and retirement age isn't about health issues it's about overt discrimination in the workplace. The real solution is to encourage seniors to venture into entrepreneurship.
He refers to AARP as an advocate for seniors, but it's actually a for-profit insurance company that actually does little to help an aging population. AARP perpetuates stereotypes, serves primarily the healthy-and-wealthy segment, and ignores age discrimination in the workplace. AARP endorsed a Dummies book about getting jobs over 50, which I reviewed here; it's easily the worst book on careers I've ever seen.
Overall, the book is extremely thoughtful and well-written. It's encouraging to see a basketball star use his fame to speak out freely and say things that need to be said. Unfortunately, I suspect the book will find an audience among those who are predisposed to agree with him, so he'll be preaching to the choir rather than converting the biased.
I've just finished Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's brilliant "Writings on the Wall", so let me get this out of the way He used to be the greatest basketball player in the game, a living legend. Since then KAJ has made a career as a thoughtful pundit following his own path of logic and facts to reach wonderfully humanist conclusions. I always reach for his columns when I see them, and recently read his delightful novel extending the Sherlock Holmes legend with "Mycroft Holmes". It reminded me that Mycroft was the model for Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe, and portrays the young Mycroft as a man of action, as Stout over the many novels tells us that Wolfe, too, once was a guerrilla warrior in the Balkans, when he was young.
KAJ builds his case on each topic point by point, citing easily verifiable facts, using straightforward interpretations of them, well-known examples from the various forms of popular media, leading to logical, rational conclusions about where our society is, where it's going, and what it needs to change. He's the opposite of supposed-pundit, Ann Coulter, who takes one pedestrian fact, a second half-truth, one total un-truth, then extrapolates wildly from them to a bizarre conclusion that's trumpeted as "fact". KAJ does none of that. Nor does he engage in trying to find obscure references to cloud the issue and puff up his ego. There aren't references Kant, Kierkegaard, or Martin Heidegger. Ok, there's a brief reference to Camus. But KAJ is more likely to refer to better known figures.
He's particularly astute on the issue of racism and how it affects all of us. KAJ doesn't simply parrot the usual liberal lines, or that ones put forth by African-American pundits. As usual, he takes his own, astute path, delicately dissecting racism and how people face it. I found I could have been talking to myself, as I believe it's not whether or not we are racist We all are. It's how we deal with it. Imagine it is a chronic disease. Do you embrace it, deny it, or recognize and try to cure it in yourself, or at least ameliorate its worst effects?
One of the most telling moments is where Kareem tells us about being called the n-word when he was in high school, when he was an NBA star, and "last week" when he wrote a column someone didn't like. That as famous and renowned as he is, he's STILL subject to the basest verbal attack that can be levied against a Black man in America.
As THE most prominent American Muslim since the death of Muhammad Ali (a dear friend of his with a totally opposite personality) his explanation of his faith and tolerance of other faiths and non-faith philosophies isn't forced or phony at all, but a genuine humanist view. His deep, deep love of America, especially our Constitution if easily reflected in his desire to make it better through constructive criticism.
I would like to think that had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar been 5' 10" instead of 7' 2'', and physically inept (like me) rather than fantastically gifted, his writing would still be as widely read and his ideas which, IMHO, tower over his hook shot, would still command great interest. I don't think I've read a non-fictional treatise that hit me as hard and made me think as much since Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World".
I think of other former athletes whose mark on the world put their sports in the past, whether I agreed with them or not Byron "Whizzer" White, Supreme Court Justice. QB Jack Kemp, Congressman and architect of a new conservative thought. And longtime Senator Bill Bradley who, oh yeah, helped the Knicks win an NBA title. Add to the list Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, political and social thinker and constructive critic, who, a long time ago was a great basketball player.
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