This is an amazingly useful book for folx thinking about DEIAR issues. I read it as kind of professional development, and even though I’ve been working in this space for a long time, I feel like I learned a lot about both the history of DEI and some tangible action items to do better work.
There are so many articles and infographics around DEI now that it’s become the topic du jour. I think a lot of companies and people are genuinely looking for ways to be better and more inclusive, and this felt like more than just lip service.
I learned about leadership – writ large – and how DEIAR work is intricately connected with “principles of leadership” as they’ve been formulated in the 20th and 21st centuries.
I loved Chapter 4 which is all about Why Diversity Plans Fail, because it lays out very clearly some of the issues I’ve seen arise around DEI efforts at various institutions i’ve been at.
This one breaks the mold for me a little bitt as far as reading goes – it’s not a piece of fiction about married people who are gaslighting each other into thinking one of them is crazy. But for anyone who is in the DEI space, wants to move into the DEI space, or just wants to know more about about DEI works in organizations (especially higher ed), I would highly recommend this book.