Race and Culture - by Thomas Sowell (Paperback)

About the Book

Encompassing more than a decade of research around the globe, this book shows that cultural capital has far more impact than politics, prejudice, or genetics on the social and economic fates of minorities, nations, and civilizations. Multiculturalism and affirmative action policies are only distractions likely to make matters worse.

Book Synopsis

From renowned economist Thomas Sowell, an examination of why different races and cultures succeed or fail

"A robust, neo-conservative romp through the minefield of contemporary race relations."--New York Times

What causes differences between ethnic groups and cultures? Why do some seem to succeed while others struggle?

In this classic book, renowned economist Thomas Sowell answers these questions and more as he dispels common misconceptions about the causes of success--or failure--for different races and cultures. Encompassing more than a decade of research around the globe, Sowell argues that cultural capital has far more impact than politics, prejudice, or genetics on the social and economic fates of minorities, nations, and civilizations.

Bold and compelling, Race and Culture is essential reading for those looking to cut through the muddle of modern racial discourse.

Review Quotes

"For those who appreciate a robust, neo-conservative romp through the minefield of contemporary race relations, Mr. Sowell's Race and Culture has much to commend it."--New York Times

"One finishes reading this book awed with Sowell's capacity to bring together so much material in such a readable fashion."--Myron Weiner, political scientist

"Sowell has no match in his breadth of knowledge on these issues.... Race and Culture is ultimately a cautionary tale of human history with broad implications for current public policies directed at racial and ethnic groups in the U.S."--Lisa Chavez, president, Center for Equal Opportunity

"This footnote-studded study is a welcome contribution to sober thinking about race. Sowell reminds us that appreciating a group's special and changing stock of 'cultural capital' does not constitute prejudice."--Booklist

"Thomas Sowell has produced a book that will compel every careful reader...to rethink their most confident views on matters of race and culture... the reader cannot help but find reasons to hope for a better world, culturally and racially, in this grimly realistic assessment."--National Review

"Thomas Sowell's views on race and culture must command the respect of any informed, unbiased person.... The book is a tour de force that will set the standards on this important and complex subject for years to come."--Rondo Cameron, author of A Concise Economic History of the World

"Unmatched in the breadth of its scholarship and the decisiveness of its arguments, Sowell's book is a splendid demarche against the Zeitgeist--which is the best recommendation an intelligent reader could want."--Commentary Magazine

"Valuable."--Library Journal

About the Author

Thomas Sowell is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. For more than half a century, his writings have appeared in both popular and scholarly publications, on both sides of the Atlantic, and his books have been translated into a dozen foreign languages. After a career as an economist in the government, academia and the corporate world, he has since 1980 been a scholar in residence at the Hoover Institution, devoting his efforts to research and writing, on subjects ranging from the history and influence of intellectuals to education and social policies in countries around the world. His website is www.tsowell.com.