Pink and Brown People and Other Controversial Essays (Hoover Institution Press Publication) [Paperback]

Thomas Sowell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Hoover Inst Pr (October 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817975322
• ISBN-13: 978-0817975326
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,335,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Sowell has taught economics at Cornell, UCLA, Amherst and other academic institutions, and his Basic Economics has been translated into six languages. He is currently a scholar in residence at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He has published in both academic journals in such popular media as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes magazine and Fortune, and writes a syndicated column that appears in newspapers across the country.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Sowell, in bite-size form, March 9, 2003

By 

Ross Nordeen (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pink and Brown People and Other Controversial Essays (Hoover Institution Press Publication) (Paperback)

This is the first collection of Sowell's newspaper columns, with selected pieces spanning from 1977 to 1981. Sowell covers the gamut of subjects from race, politics, law, foreign policy and the social scene. As Sowell says in the introduction, the goal of these short essays was to "hit the nail on the head, not overwhelm scholarly critics with tables, graphs, and equations." And hit the "nail on the head" is exactly what he does, in column after column, bringing his insight as an economist to a whole range of topics.

The book is a fascinating read, much like opening a time capsule, as Sowell comments on then-current events like the resignation of UN Ambassador Andrew Young, the Bakke decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty, the gasoline shortage, and the near-ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. On the other hand, it's frustrating to read an old essay on rent control, knowing that over twenty years later, almost no political progress has been made on an issue that has been settled for decades before the first time Sowell writes about it.

It's hard to pick out a favorite among all the gems in this collection. The best ones are incisive and educational. For example, the title essay, "Pink and Brown People", refers to the lack of accuracy in discussions about race and goes on to make excellent, fact-rich comparisons between present day ghettos and those of the nineteenth century. One can also clearly see the beginnings of Sowell's "Visions" concept, which was later fully developed in "A Conflict of Visions" as well as two later books.

Unfortunately, this book is out of print as I write this. If you are a fan of Sowell's, keep an eye out for a used copy. It's worthy addition to one's library.