Why We Can't WaitWhy We Can't Wait
Score Classic
What it's about
Martin Luther King Jr. tells the story of the 1963 campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, the most segregated city in America: the protests, the arrests, the police dogs and fire hoses, the children's march and the victory. At its center is his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, answering clergy who told him to wait.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction. It's King's own explanation of nonviolent protest and why justice can't be delayed.
You'll love it if you liked
Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63
Between the World and Me
Homage to CataloniaGood to know
It's short and powerful.
By the numbers
- Readers100 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
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. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Why We Can't Wait worth reading?
It's on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction. Its Must-Read Score is 86.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Why We Can't Wait about?
Martin Luther King Jr. tells the story of the 1963 campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, the most segregated city in America: the protests, the arrests, the police dogs and fire hoses, the children's march and the victory. At its center is his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, answering clergy who told him to wait.
How long does it take to read Why We Can't Wait?
About 3 hours (120 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Why We Can't Wait?
If you liked it, try Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63 by Taylor Branch, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates or Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell.