This long-awaited book...proves to be an artful and compelling read ... The result is a powerful primer about bias which will prove useful for those new to the topic as well as those well-versed in the topic. This is my field and still, Eberhardt’s book brought me to research I did not know or which resonated with me in new ways through her explanations. Biased offers both novices and experts plenty to think about ... Eberhardt abandons the jargon-speak of academic research and speaks to the reader’s head, heart and soul ... Readers who enjoy stories explained by science and science explained by stories will appreciate Eberhardt’s adoption of this popular narrative voice. Eberhardt’s storytelling is particularly compelling when she connects the science to her lived experience as an African-American woman and mother of three African-American sons ... Whether this is the first book you have picked up on the topic of bias or yet another you are adding to your expertise on the topic, Biased is a book worth your time.
...[an] unexpectedly poignant overview of the research on cognitive biases and stereotypes, especially racial bias in criminal justice ... Eberhardt gives striking examples from her research of how racial categories and stereotypes affect perception ... The experiments and observational studies reported in Biased are important and illuminating. They’re brought to life by stories from Eberhardt’s own experience ... The book has one weakness. Eberhardt doesn’t spend much time on alternative hypotheses. Implicit bias isn’t the only way to think about...the millions of...encounters that take place each year between citizens and the police.
Biased is a reminder that no one is immune to implicit bias; Eberhardt ... certainly makes a strong case ... In many ways, Biased offers answers, but unfortunately, it contains no easy fixes. The issue is extremely complicated, as Eberhardt shows by laying out the myriad of factors involved, including our historical and cultural context. She does, however, offer thoughtful analysis of steps that have been taken to fight ingrained prejudice and the successes that have been achieved so far. Ultimately, Biased is a valuable resource for understanding and explaining implicit bias. It is at once validating and eye-opening, disheartening and hopeful.
The author draws from wide-ranging studies and experiments, a number conducted by herself and her colleagues, to illustrate the many forms that bias takes, as well as the relative efficacy of attempts to overcome it ... Beyond the many experiments...it’s the human stories the author tells to underline the science that are inevitably more immediate, gripping, and heart-wrenching.
Though there’s no easy answer, Eberhardt posits the key to change is confronting bias head-on rather than trying to pretend it doesn’t exist, and to question and challenge our own snap judgments and their sources. This is a seminal work on a topic that necessitates wide and frank discussion.
Eberhardt...helps readers understand how human brains have evolved to fear 'the other' and how to combat innate bias once we recognize it ... An important book for all readers in these divisive times.
...eye-opening ...Though there’s a section titled 'The Way Out,' Eberhardt doesn’t offer many concrete suggestions for solutions, making the book feel like it overpromises on that element. But Eberhardt’s combination of smartly chosen stories and impressively accessible research makes this essential reading for psychology aficionados and people invested in social justice.
Relying on her neuroscientific research, consulting work, and personal anecdotes, the author astutely examines how stereotypes influence our perceptions, thoughts, and actions ... simultaneously scholarly illuminating, and heartbreaking ... Compelling and provocative, this is a game-changing book about how unconscious racial bias impacts our society and what each of us can do about it.
