The Bookshelf: May 12, 2016

Trib+Edu is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of education. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE SCHOOL ADAPTABILITY CRISIS: It's Source and Solution Planted in the African American Garden of Eden

by Joe L. Rempson

Rempson examines what he sees as the root causes of education and economic-mobility gaps that affect African-American males. The question of how to attain educational and economic equality with whites has been a central concern of African-American thought, dating back to W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington. With this book, Rempson tracks its evolution to the present day, as embodied in the arguments of actor Bill Cosby and author Michael Eric Dyson; he also looks at the divisions that still exist among young African-American males regarding the so-called “cool-pose culture,” the idea of “acting white,” and the quality of black male role models, up to and including President Barack Obama. Some may find the book’s platform to be a bit preachy. However, it’s clear that the author has spent many years thinking about the particular problems of the community and formulating customized solutions to help solve them, as embodied here.

For the full review, visit kirkus.com.