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Nigger : The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word

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Title: Nigger : The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word
by Randall Kennedy
ISBN: 0-375-71371-9
Publisher: Vintage
Pub. Date: 14 January, 2003
Format: Paperback
Volumes: 1
List Price(USD): $12.00
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Average Customer Rating: 3.81 (59 reviews)

Customer Reviews

Rating: 5
Summary: The fanged Lexicom
Comment: I was very excited to see a book out on Black History with such a daring title. The hoopla in the paper and television show Boston Public made me very intrigued on this novel. Coming from Canada, Black History is not discussed, and this book is perfect to learn of the lives of a people we know very little about. A novel where the world can learn about N-word in an impartial manner with a gutsy attitude.
Nigger is a book about the word, first and foremost. It discusses its uses in history, its place in history, its uses in pop culture, and so on. Although these are topics that have been digested by the American and Canadain public time and again, Randall Kennedy displays it in a refershing way. I had no idea that the culture of this word was so broad, overused and abused. The book discusses the words useage by black and white persons and when it is ok to use it.
The author does not damn all those that use the word but, is quick also, to priase the person who files for its inappropriate use. Not to say Kennedy contradictics himself, by far, he does not.
Kennedy wrote this book so that Nigger, the word, can be disolved or be used in accordance to society (norms). People must inspect it from every angle, which is exactly what Kennedy did. He has attempted to reduce the evilness, however, not replacing it with good, but, with delicate understanding and careful explination. Through use of quotes, court cases and related experience, we the reader have enough information so that we can respect or disregard his discussion.

For any one person interested in the English lexicom, history or general reading, this book can allow you to think and discover your innermost thoughts. A wonderful intellectual read.

Rating: 4
Summary: Thought Provoking
Comment: Randall Kennedy had a brilliant idea for a book. Unfortunately, the subject may be too complex for any mortal man to tackle in a reasonable amount of pages. Kennedy does open some eyes and has created some dialogue in regard to his subject, but the book will leave most readers with some unanswered questions.

Kennedy discusses many facets of this controversial word in his thought provoking book. After discussing the history of the word, he looks at its use in pop culture, law cases, as well as its overstigmatizing effect. Kennedy succeeds in stating these facts in a reasonably fair and balanced way. In large part, he avoids over-stating his opinion as part of the explanation.

While Kennedy proposes no direct solution to the problems created by this word, it is difficult to criticize him when any possible solution has its flaws. He does manage to create a long overdue dialogue on the subject. The cautions which can be drawn from this dialogue include being cautious of the context of the word and overstigmatizing those who use the word.

The fact that such a book exists demonstrates a deeper cultural understanding and defining of the word is being sought. This makes Kennedy's final product very credible.

Rating: 5
Summary: Very Informative
Comment: I used this book as my primary source for a school presentation. The book was informative and really made me think about the word nigger, its origin and its uses. Randall Kennedy includes a bunch of anecdotes and quotations from people we recognize (and some we don't) in order to show the impact of 'nigger' on humanity. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially blacks, as it opened my eyes and the eyes of my presentation's audience, the majority of which was white. As the lone black man in my high school class, I wanted to bring something new to my white schoolmates, but to my surprise, I learned a lot as well.

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