The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
"The New Jim Crow" is a thought-provoking and eye-opening book that examines the deeply ingrained racial bias within the American criminal justice system. Drawing on extensive research and personal anecdotes, the author explores how the War on Drugs has disproportionately targeted and marginalized Black communities, leading to a modern-day system of racial control and oppression. This powerful critique challenges readers to confront the systemic racism that continues to perpetuate inequality and injustice in the United States.
The 1701st greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 238
This book was first published in 2010
14 Lists
- score: 73 -- 100 Best Books of the 21st Century - 2024 (Weight: 173)
- score: 57 -- The 30 best nonfiction books of the last 30 years - 2025 (Weight: 130)
- score: 35 -- The 50 Best Books of Literary Journalism - 2021 (Weight: 89)
- score: 29 -- The 20 Best Non Fiction of the Decade (2010s) - 2019 (Weight: 70)
- score: 18 -- The New Canon: What’s the Most Influential Book of the Past 20 Years? - 2018 (Weight: 55)
- score: 12 -- 25 of the Best Nonfiction Books of All Time - 2022 (Weight: 30)
- score: 4 -- Bill Gate's Book Recommendations - 2024 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- The 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Past 25 Years - 2019 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the 20th Century (and Beyond) in English - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 50 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The ZORA Canon: The 100 greatest books ever written by African American women - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 100 Best Political Books - 2017 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- Boston Public Library: Top Genre Books of the 2010s - 2020 (Weight: 1)