Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings

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Published Feb 14, 2023

544 pages

Average rating: 8.56

695 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents* is a powerful, well-researched, and eye-opening exploration of America's racial hierarchy framed a...

Rod
Oct 20, 2025
8/10 stars
The author explores the eight pillars the underline cast systems across civilizations, including bloodline, stigmas and more.
DivaD
Sep 25, 2025
9/10 stars
Excellent book, knowledge is power!
Lara Cooper
Jun 05, 2025
Amazing!
KMalcolmPhD
May 16, 2025
10/10 stars
Clear and well laid out argument for why we should consider the hierarchy in the USA as a one of the most premier caste systems in the world. Rivaled only by those in India and during Nazi Germany.
Harrietaspy
May 04, 2025
8/10 stars
This is undoubtedly a week researched and thorough accounting of the cats system that exists in America. One of the things that most struck me from the book is how the rest of the world recognizes the caste system in America but Americans don't. If you aren't reading a lot about race in America then this will be mind blowing. If you are then this may be somewhat repetitive and not all that new.

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