Overview: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents is an educational and important non-fiction book which everyone can learn from. Author Isabel Wilkerson introduces a new theory and sociological perspective by drawing connections between racism in America and caste systems such as those seen in India and Nazi Germany. The book does a deep dive into America’s long history of racism, starting with the creation of artificial social hierarchies and enslavement in the South. Particularly informative was the chapter which identifies and describes the 8 pillars of caste systems by sharing examples of such pillars from American slavery, the Indian caste system, and Nazi’s Jewish Program. In later chapters, Wilkerson describes how the American caste system is still alive today by analyzing American politics as well as recent events familiar to readers as seen on social media or news outlets. Altogether, this Oprah’s Book Club pick is a must-read for everyone, but especially for those wanting to educate themselves more on racism, the outcomes of a caste system, and how we can move forward and overcome the artificial separations of the human hierarchies we see today.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51152447-caste?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=LlHAUGFTEm&rank=1