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

BUY THE BOOK

Published Feb 14, 2023

544 pages

Average rating: 8.58

711 RATINGS

|

These clubs recently read this book...

Connect Book Club Group 1

General Book Club - we read a wide-variety of genres because books are selected by member proposals and voting that takes place about twice a year

Classic African American Literature

We read cultural classics and contemporary literature with a focus on books that tell the story of the African, African American, and Indigenous (Native) experience. Nothing is off-limits.

Reading for Understanding

Free Monthly Virtual Book Discussions to Promote Reading, Ongoing Learning and Critical Conversations

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 exploration of systemic inequality, framing America’s racial hierar...

CeLynasings
Nov 14, 2025
10/10 stars
To know that we as people seem to always have a need to have a hierarchy is very fascinating. The author did an amazing job explaining how Caste is not just about status but can be made through race and how it relates to racism.
JoshuaVLove
Jan 09, 2026
10/10 stars
Isabel Wilkerson does a great job showing how racism and discrimination is tied together across the world and through different communities. In particular her work on how slavery in the American South and the Holocaust in Nazi Germany are interconnected is really powerful. Highly worth a read. The movie by Ava DuVernay is also very well done (and is one of my favorites).
StephGold
Jan 06, 2026
10/10 stars
This book is a masterpiece. Wilkerson is a brilliant writer who tackles a complicated concept and explores it with research, grace, and humanity. This is a must read.
Bosky
Dec 30, 2025
10/10 stars
A must read or listen for all. I listened to this. Have a hard time formulating my thoughts into words. I bought this for my mother to read as well. Lets just leave it at that.
TheBookishOne
Dec 27, 2025
10/10 stars
Very accurate and timely. Wilkerson does a brilliant job writing this book. The research was extensive. Excellent!

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.