Grimy London: A Review of The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Like other serial killers, Jack the Ripper has gone down in infamy for the crimes he committed rather than for who his victims were. Indeed, the five women killed by him have unjustly been labeled as “prostitutes” and their lives mostly forgotten. In this wonderful history, Ms. Rubenhold brings the lives of these women into the light, dispels the “prostitute” reputation they have gained, explores the social history of the poor and working class in Victorian England, and questions our contemporary society’s fascination with their common demise and killer rather than their uncommon lives.

To start things off, if you are reading this book for new details about the murder and the murderer, you are reading the wrong book. Ms. Rubenhold doesn’t waste any ink on nearly any detail of these women’s murders or the hunt for their killer. Plenty of books have gone over that territory and their deaths is not at all the focus of this one. Instead, Ms. Rubenhold writes five mini-biographies of their birth and life prior to their murders. In essence, by telling their story apart from their murder, Ms. Rubenhold gives them back the lives they had before Jack the Ripper ended them. At the same time, she goes into detail about the general lives of the poor in the working class in Victorian England. Things like work houses and the lives of soldiers and chapbook sellers are all detailed exquisitely here.

Honestly, I have no real criticisms of this book. My reading rate did slow a little towards the end, but that was due more to my own interests being distracted at the end rather than to any fault of the writer. Ms. Rubenhold has written an excellent counterweight to the Jack the Ripper mythology that succeeds on many levels. Whether you are an aficionado of Jack the Ripper books, interested in late Victorian English history, or none of these things, I would highly recommend this book to you.

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Let's Talk About Race: A Review of Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt, PhD

Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As we see the resurgence of hate groups and extreme political rhetoric, discussing racism, implicit bias and how they affect us is more important than ever. In this book, Dr. Eberhardt explores a number of place, from the benign to the serious, where implicit bias affects how people respond to other people and to different scenarios.

What is fascinating about this book is how bias affects everyone and in rather predictable ways. Dr. Eberhardt uses stories, such as the undercover black police officer chasing after his own reflection, and the latest social research, some of which she has conducted herself, to show how bias affects people and society. Much of it is incredibly insightful and thought-provoking, but some of it is not. It's hit or miss.

The biggest issue though is that, after sharing all these stories and research, Dr. Eberhardt's concluding chapters don't really offer much in terms of how to address and overcome bias. Mostly, she seems to say that by pointing out bias and discussing it, things can get better. While I don't disagree with her, it doesn't feel like enough when facing the serious issues of bias that we face today. Furthermore, the way she presents her recommendations are easy to miss. They are tucked in and spread around part 3 of this book and not presented in a particularly systematized way. I would've preferred a more direct chapter on ways to address and overcome bias as, after all these stories about how bias is almost inescapable, it would be cathartic to have a section devoted to addressing and overcoming bias directly.

As bias, particularly along racial lines, better known and less socially acceptable, books like this are more important than ever. While it doesn't provide a good amount of advice on how to deal with bias, I would recommend this book for anyone who wishes to spark conversation about implicit bias, especially their own.

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"So Runs the Stereotype": A Review of Whistling Vivaldi

Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do by Claude M. Steele

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Stereotypes may be the bases of many jokes and misunderstandings, but they can also be the bases for more negative consequences. That is the overall gist of this interesting look at stereotype threat, as it is labeled in the book, and how it can affect everyone negatively.

Prof. Steele has made his career as a social psychologist by researching just how negative stereotypes affect people in numerous ways. From academic and athletic performance to, perhaps, societal ills, Prof. Steele slowly builds up his case over the course of this entire book. Some of his research is incredibly eye-opening, such as the fact that negative stereotypes can affect anyone, depending on the stereotype you're talking about. Black students may feel pressure to perform in areas like math where, stereotypically, African-Americans are not perceived as being good at. White athletes may feel pressured to performa athletically in a sport where, again stereotypically, white athletes are not perceived as being very good in. And if nothing is done to address this anxiety, even in a minimal fashion, subconscious pressure pushes these groups to perform worse than their peers. It is all very intriguing.

And yet, there is this "No, duh!" quality to all of these revelations. After presenting some of his first research, a reader could guess at the future research results using only anecdotes and personal experience. While all of this is fascinating, nothing is particularly jaw-dropping. Also, while Prof. Steele points out how stereotype threat affects individuals and groups, he largely shies away from extrapolating any overarching societal consequences from his work. This may be due to professional caution, but, if his research is true for the broader American society, than stereotypes and stereotype threat could be a source for numerous societal ills. Lastly, while his work is interspersed with little nuggets of advice here and there, I would have liked a better concluding chapter with more straightforward advice on how to counteract stereotype threat. I'm sure educators in particular would like more detailed advice so as to be better, more balanced teachers in the classroom.

Overall, this is a good book that I would recommend to readers interested in stereotypes and how they can negatively affect us and our fellow citizens.

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