The Souls of Black FolkThe Souls of Black Folk
What it's about
W.E.B. Du Bois, a sociologist and historian, published this collection of essays in 1903. In it he introduced the idea of "double consciousness," the sense of always seeing yourself through the eyes of a contemptuous white world, and predicted that "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line." The essays range from history and politics to his criticism of Booker T. Washington, the sorrow songs of the enslaved, and the death of his infant son.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction ever written and is one of the founding works of African American thought. It's still powerful and relevant.
You'll love it if you liked
The Fire Next Time, Notes of a Native Son or Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
Good to know
It's a classic and reads like one. The essays can be read in any order.
By the numbers
- Readers91 out of 100 · counts 40%+41
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 32% (its stronger lane)+18
- Bestseller20 out of 100 · counts 14%+3
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 15%+0
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero.
On the Guardian 100 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time list. 4.31★ from 46K Goodreads ratings.
Where it ranks
- #52 of the 154 history books we rank
- #84 of the 519 classics we rank
- #214 of the 1,404 books we rank
On the lists
- Guardian 100 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time
Reads as
Thought-provoking, True story
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The Caine Mutiny
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The Fire Next Time
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