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Race And Culture: A World View

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Race and Culture" would more accurately be titled "Culture and Race". The book is a masterful treatment of cultural differences worldwide and how they have directed the course that our world's societies have taken. Race (the hot-button) get's a less extensive treatment.

On this topic of race, the book is most provocative in Sowell's chapter "Race and Intelligence". Sowell is clear in his analysis and the reader comes away feeling that he has presented a balanced set of findings. Sowell is careful with his assumptions; he extensively reports the results of IQ tests worldwide without going so far as to suggest that these tests actually measure innate intellectual ability. Although he unflinchingly points to differences which fall along racial lines, he also points to the fact that these test scores change over time (dramatically in some cases, with some American immigrant groups acquiring 18 points of IQ as their racial group assimilated into American culture and the academic tradition.)

Differences in test scores, therefore, are presented as differences in performance. It is undeniable that some groups, such as African Americans, consistently score lower on certain standardized tests. It takes a balanced look at all the data to understand why. As an African American who is interested in such issues, I came away feeling that Sowell had not ducked the hard issues, considered all of the evidence, and reached valid conclusions.

At the end of the day it is clear that Sowell is an economist; one can almost see supply and demand curves superimposed on the page behind the wording. If there is a flaw in the book it is that his academic viewpoint as an economist skews his view of human nature. We're presented with repeated examples of the un-economic results of discrimination. While we know that this is true, we also know that people often make un-economic decisions for emotional reasons.

This, however is nit-picking (it is easy to bash economists). Overall this is a balanced treatment and an impressive work of scholarship that will leave the reader thinking. This is a book to which I'll refer in the future.

Thomas Sowell, a black senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University has aroused much controversy with his 329 page-long book on race and culture. His thesis runs contrary to most current trends in social sciences. And it seems incompatible with most assumptions underlying government policies and established academic notions with regard to racial and ethnic minorities.

Sowell's thesis maintains that differences in productive skills and cultural values are the key to understanding the advancement or regression of ethnic groups. In his opinion, skills and values make up the cultural capital of an ethnic group or of a people, whereas politics, environmental factors and genetics do not play the important roles widely attributed to the success of a group or nation.

Since Sowell's central topic is the universe of values, the reader will easily accept the general layout of his book: a world view. In order to make his universal perspective convincing, Sowell pays his respect to a one page long list of scholars world wide from whose wisdom he has been able to draw.

What is the result of Sowell's approach to "Race and Culture"? We learn that certain peoples have been more or similarly successful than others because of their human capital, their particular pattern of cultural values which enabled them to perform better than others. The Jews are said to have prospered wherever they went in the world because they were experts in the textile business. Italian immigrants we! re often similarly successful in the field of wine production. The Germans are said to have always been successful farmers and craftsmen, and the Chinese succeed everywhere as retailers and restaurant owners.

In one chapter he goes into the question whether intelligence tests allow any conclusion as to the genetic supremacy of one race over the other. The answer is negative. Chinese and some other immigrant groups have been economically and socially successful in America regardless of how they score on intelligence tests. This proves, in his opinion, that inherited traditional values and skills as well as the culturally based capacity to adapt to new conditions are the essential factors, and not genetics. He says the assumption that always environmental conditions are the determining factors of a group's success or failure is wrong. Consequently, he does not think that a disad- vantaged group of American society like the uneducated and poor blacks could be put on their feet by just improving the environmental factors of their lives. Throughout his argumentation he reproaches the intellectuals of often taking the lead in spreading misconceptions of history and doing harm to society: "The role of soft-subject intellectuals - notably professors and schoolteachers - in fermenting internal strife and separatism, from the Basques in Spain to the French in Canada, adds another set of dangers of political instability from schooling without skills." (p. 24)

He believes in hard core skills like the technologies and crafts which are the basis of cultural success. Cultures are conceived of as dynamically engaged ! in a competitive process in which the weaker and less successful elements are weeded out. At that, there are many parts of group cultures which do not deserve any respect. That is why he thinks the notion of "mutual respect" cannot always hold as a premise when comparing cultures.

To his mind there is the widely observable development of a modern world culture which gradually overcomes those cultures which are less apt. This looks much like social Darwinism.

No wonder that the book may easily be misunderstood as ultra conservative. In fact, its title would be almost impossible to translate directly into German because of the nazi connotations of the word "race".

The book provides stimulating reading because nowhere else does one get such a pragmatic concept with a material and substantial understanding of culture. Probably everybody has secretly believed that according to his private observations certain nations and cultures are more or less successful and deserve more or less respect. But for the sake of not nurturing prejudices everybody refrains from speaking out.

On the other hand it must be feared that the book will be grist to the mill of those conservative forces in society who have always believed that only they themselves deserve to be rich and powerful because in their blindfolded eyes the lower strata of society lack cultural stamina and don't like to work hard.

Mr. Sowell is an erudite scholar. He presents his no excuse thesis with logic, research, and a keen instinct for interpreting human behavior. Historical facts illuminate every point." The distorting censorship of political correctness thankfully was not found here." Every factor is brought in, climate, geography, cultural norms, etc. That all these things play a role in the successes and failures of both the individual and the group,is proven beyond doubt in this seminal book. This should be required reading in all of our schools.

The book explains that culture has a lot to do with racial and ethnic differences and groups often retain their characteristics wherever they go in the world. For example, the Irish are often heavily involved in politics as leaders especially, the Italians have been known to be great architects, the Germans are known to be hard-working farmers, and the Jews are known to high risk loan lenders and also garmet/fashion employees.

The book also covers middleman minorities such as oversees Chinese in Malaysia, Indians in Eastern Africa, and Jews worldwide. It explains why such minorities are resented for their financial success in whatever country they set up shop in and how they get kicked out of the country sometimes even though they greatly helped build the economy. They get accused of exploiting the natives and political pressure is put on them to hire the natives in their industry. Sowell gives the example of Jews who charge high interest for their loans because no one else will take chances on people with poor credit history and who stand a great chance of defaulting on a loan. The Jews must be financially responsible to keep their loan business going so they don't mix too much socially with their customers so as not to take on their bad financial habits.

Cultures and ethnic groups that were once backwards become advanced over time especially if they are conquered by a people with a superior culture. Sowell gives the example of the ancient Britons who were conquered by the Romans and became more advanced culturally than the Irish or Scots who were not conquered.

Sowell also explains that a region must have navigable rivers or or be located on the coastline to be advanced culturally. It is easier to tranport people and goods and therefore ideas in such societies and they become more advanced than rural regions, islands, and mountainous regions that are less populated. He says that one of the reasons that Africa is backward culturally is that there are not many navigable rivers as opposed to Europe.

Sowell is one of the more underappreciated intellectuals of our time. What he has to say is, in terms of interest and usefulness, not far behind what other luminaries such as Fukuyama, Kennedy, Murray or Huntington (or Revel in France) have said. Yet, it seems to me, he is not as acknowledged as the latter group, and it's a pity.

"Race and Culture" is a rich and stimulating book, and it has such a vast subject it is breathtaking in its ambition. Sowell wants to understand how racial differences explain historical differences among peoples and nations. He does not shrink from the fact that not all cultures are equally suited for economic or cultural development. He does not avoid the hard questions about race and intelligence, but does not go beyond what the record will bear. He shows that at various times different races have had differing levels of intelligence, but that these levels have varied widely in very short periods of time. He gives strong evidence that, concerning blacks (particularly in the US), most of the differences in intellectual performance are surely environmentally driven, and that current "victimization" discourse only justifies further underperformance. His criticism of IQ interpretations helped me understand why Murray and Herrnstein (in "The Bell Curve") were wrong in many of their conclusions. His analysis of resentment and envy as drivers for backlash against "middleman minorities" (the Jews in Europe, the Indians in Africa, the Chinese in Southeast Asia, the Greeks and Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, etc.) is masterful, and nearly as good as Shoeck's "Envy". He also manages to successfully summarize in a few pages all the key arguments of Jared Diamond in his celebrated book "Guns, Germs and Steel" (which came out later than "Race and Culture"). I would like to highlight his erudite criticism of much literature on slavery lays bare many of the arguments on "the peculiar institution", which attempt to show it as a uniquely Western crime; rather he shows that slavery always existed, and it only ended because of an intellectual and moral movement in the West. I think global IQs would rise if people read this remarkable book, that runs counter to many mistaken assuptions and implications of multiculturalist discourses.

Why the four star writing? The book is not a pleasure to read. It is so wooden and dry that it is unnecessarily heavy going. Other reviewers have called this an "academic" style. While I can understand that Sowell does not want to be dumbed down, surely he can spare some sympathy for his readers? Friedman, Von Mises, Von Hayek, Coase and many others have shown it is possible to write on complex economic subjects in a lively and understandable fashion. Also, there does seem to be a deficit in editing here. Many arguments are rehashed in successive chapters, and some examples reappear verbatim. I am an admirer of Mr Sowell's (I have even used his "Conflict of Visions" as a reading in one of the courses I teach), but I believe he could improve the frumpy cover wrap, so that people might be better induced to sample the remarkable contents.

Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) made very accurate measurements of the planets' positions over several decades. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) derived from these data three planetary laws, which formed the basis for Newton's brilliant work, which in turn formed the basis for Einstein's brilliant work. But, it all started with numerous, accurate measurements in the real world.

Thomas Sowell also has made numerous, accurate measurements in the real world, but of races, economics, and cultures. He reports his data in this scholarly book (with many Notes and an extensive Index) in eight chapters, dividing the material into Culture as affected by Migration/Conquest, and Race as affected by Economics/Politics/Intelligence/Slavery/History. He takes a World View, so that important parts of problems are not left out. I get the impression that Dr. Sowell actually seeks solutions to racial problems - this book is the groundwork for that search. As such, he is in no hurry to rush out 'solutions' to today's problems . . . he doesn't have to make the 6 o'clock news.

The purpose of Race and Culture " . . . is not to offer some grand theory explaining cultural differences. Its goal is to demonstrate the reality, persistence, and consequences of cultural differences . . . ." "This book deliberately offers little in the way of direct policy prescription, for its underlying premise is that what is most needed is an understanding of existing realities, . . . ." "There is seldom a shortage of people willing to draw up blueprints for salvation. What is important is that such people and those who judge their propositions both understand what they are talking about."

If history repeats itself, a 'Kepler' will step forth, sift through the voluminous material in this book, and then derive succinct laws that will benefit all of us. The position is open to anyone. Be forewarned, though, the real Kepler spent decades at his task. And, there is no guarantee even that there are any laws to derive. As I wrote recently, "Winning the game by making the discovery is open to all who wish to participate. Their willingness to try and fail, to persevere in chasing false leads, and to go forward where no path exists determines the possibility of winning. . . . Luck determines the winner."

Thomas Sowell delves deep into the subject of race and culture in his book appropriately titled RACE AND CULTURE: A WORLD VIEW. From a historical point of view, Sowell examines how the subject of race may easily be misconceived and misunderstood when the discussion of the subject does not include culture, politics, economics and social factors. Sowell stresses global and historical facts of importance to emphasize that race and culture is linked from one society to the next in order to understand the complexities and controversies, which have involved slavery and migration, and other issues associated with the subject.

Indeed, Sowell examines race and culture from a broad perspective. His research took twenty years to undertake as well as journeys made around the world, and attempts to pinpoint the most significant histories that have involved how race and culture has had an affect on the advancement of civilization, or as he refers "Human capital," which includes an international tint. The most interesting aspect of Sowell's study is that he provides parallels from various peoples and geographical locations that interconnect. For example, the Ottoman Empire was of great importance when it came to discussing ethnic conflict, conquest, and consequences that have occurred in history. Somewhat disappointing, Sowell provides minimal discussion of Native Americans when he speaks about American society in relation to race and culture, and possibly what might have been helpful is if he included more discussion of this area of study in the concluding chapter, Race and History.

Otherwise, RACE AND CULTURE is an academically charged study. Besides its historical significance, the book also provides contemporary references within an intellectual environment. This is a recommendable book, which will definitely exercise and feed one's mind when understanding race and culture.

That one person could amass such a breadth of information and so much solid thinking on this subject--spanning geographies and time--as Sowell has did for this book, is astonishing. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
When I read the book (some years ago), I did not know that Stowell is black, and was shocked when I later learned this. His lack of bias is as impressive as his command of the subject.

Thomas Sowell combines common sense, impeccable logic, far-ranging research, and his amazing erudition in one succinct volume. Never before have I been so affected intellectually as I was by this book. I only wish I had been introduced to Mr. Sowell many years ago. Do yourself a favor and read it...NOW!!

I'm fairly interested in ethinic diasporia and how cultures/traditions stick with ethnic groups through time. I though I would read race and culture after I read Thomas Sowell's Ethinic America which is another great book. Race and culture is good because it really deals a lot with how things like geographic conditions influence culture and econmic development. There are also things such a good history of slavery, broader then the history taught in our schools. The book goes into great depth about how immigrants have changed and been changed by moving to different parts of the world. The book also deals with how certain professions and cultural qualities stick with a group through time and how different ethnic/religous minorities have been treated through time. It really helps with understanding race on more of a global scale.