Thicker Than Blood: How Racial Statistics Lie [Paperback]

Tukufu Zuberi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0816639094 | ISBN-13: 978-0816639090 | Publication Date: February 7, 2003 | Edition: 1

Tukufu Zuberi offers a concise account of the historical connections between the development of the idea of race and the birth of social statistics. Zuberi describes how race-differentiated data are misinterpreted in the social sciences and asks searching questions about the ways racial statistics are used. He argues that statistical analysis can and must be deracialized, and that this deracialization is essential to the goal of achieving social justice for all.

"A call to action and, Zuberi hopes, a precursor to a conversation about the real meaning of race, ethnicity, and political power in America."-Time Magazine

"Zuberi shows just how vicious-especially through the use of statistics-the notion of race has been when it has been employed to protect the interest of those in power (whites), especially those who say that because race does not exist, racism is not real."-Michael Eric Dyson in Chicago Sun-Times

"Tukufu Zuberi's critical assessment of the analysis of racial data in Thicker Than Blood is a tour de force. His discussion and evaluation of the use of racial statistics in historical and cross-cultural contexts is original and important."-William Julius Wilson, Harvard University

Tukufu Zuberi is professor of sociology and director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (February 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816639094
• ISBN-13: 978-0816639090
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh new look at how racial statistics lie, October 31, 2003

By 

socratic muser "socratic muser" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thicker Than Blood: How Racial Statistics Lie (Paperback)

Contrary to what most people would expect, "Thicker than Blood" delves into how statistics in themselves are "facts" but may be misleading depending on the theory of society that those facts are gleaned from. In his book, Tukufu shows how notable people can come to polar opposite conclusions from the same data, revealing one's own agenda and ideologies. To see how racial statistics lie, we must examine the social context in which they arise.

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Title is misleading....no examples of his premise., August 18, 2002

By 

T. Courtney (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thicker Than Blood: How Racial Statistics Lie (Hardcover)

I read this book after having read "Damned Lies and Statistics", hoping to gain a deeper appreciation of the manipulation of statistics in the everyday world. This book disappointed me from the onset. The author delves into a long diatribe about the history of eugenics. While I found this interesting, I felt it consumed too much of the book. Part of his title, ".....How Racial Statistics Lie", is never even touched on. He does not give one example of a 'racial statistic that lies'. This should have been a mystery book because you are always waiting for the chapter that is going to reveal what you are looking for. That chapter never arises in this book. I thought the author would give a plethora of racial statistics and in turn break down each one, showing the falsity in each. That never happens here.

To be fair the author does list almost 400 references, which is very impressive. He has done his research and appears to be very well-read on the subject. This book is not for the everyday person to just pick up and learn ".....How Racial Statistics Lie". This book should be targeted towards those with a degree in social sciences. I felt confused due to the lack of explanations of some of the terminology.

Overall, this book is not terrible, but it is not what the title implies. Less theory and more examples would have made this much more readable for the casual, interested reader.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Way Race Really Matters, February 13, 2003

By 

"bobo1083" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thicker Than Blood: How Racial Statistics Lie (Hardcover)

"Thicker Than Blood" is an outstanding book that all serious students of race must engage. Zuberi at once pinpoints the conceptual failure of most social scientists who analyze "racial statistics" and makes the compelling case for a historically and theoretically grounded discussion of race. In an era when too many people--including within the academy-are fearful of discussing race, Zuberi lights a path to a sound social science of race.