A reasoned, quiet argument for civil discourse in an unreasonable, loud time.
Proceed with caution.
Eisgruber, a constitutional law scholar and the president of Princeton University, weighs in on the challenges to free speech on college campuses. Drawing on his knowledge and experience, he argues that free speech is not free for all. We need, he argues, “political processes and social virtues that enable reason to prevail in public discussion.” “Good counsels,” he writes, should “prevail over evil….The power of reason [should] govern human affairs.” Eisgruber therefore proposes a way of both enabling and regulating speech. He uses words such as “politeness,” “civility,” and “professional standards.” Academic freedom, he claims, needs rules of engagement. The current generation of undergraduates needs an education in ethical behavior and in consensus building. We need to be weaned off cancel culture. He admits that we cannot say things we used to say. And yet, those limitations do not compromise free speech. “Free speech does not entitle people to say whatever they please without bearing responsibility for it. On the contrary, the purposes of free speech include enabling discussions about what is true and just.” Eisgruber retells a series of campus encounters, both at Princeton and elsewhere, that illustrate the dangers of uncivil discourse and cancellation. Undergraduates, today, are angry about a lot of things. They communicate differently from previous generations. They often live on the intersection of what the authors of Gen Z, Explained call “moral panic and technological advancement.” In the end, this book is less about free speech than about cultivating a moral character and a sense of civic, and civil, responsibility. It is a book of calm reflection trying to address an inflammatory age. In his tone, his arguments, and his narrative evenhandedness, Eisgruber comes off as the adult in the room.
A reasoned, quiet argument for civil discourse in an unreasonable, loud time.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781541607453
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Basic Books
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
The sub-title of this book is "Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools." But one finds in it little about education, and less about the teaching of English. Nor is this volume a defense of the Christian faith similar to other books from the pen of C. S. Lewis. The three lectures comprising the book are rather rambling talks about life and literature and philosophy. Those who have come to expect from Lewis penetrating satire and a subtle sense of humor, used to buttress a real Christian faith, will be disappointed.
Pub Date: April 8, 1947
ISBN: 1609421477
Page Count: -
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1947
This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.
A former NFL player casts his gimlet eye on American race relations.
In his first book, Acho, an analyst for Fox Sports who grew up in Dallas as the son of Nigerian immigrants, addresses White readers who have sent him questions about Black history and culture. “My childhood,” he writes, “was one big study abroad in white culture—followed by studying abroad in black culture during college and then during my years in the NFL, which I spent on teams with 80-90 percent black players, each of whom had his own experience of being a person of color in America. Now, I’m fluent in both cultures: black and white.” While the author avoids condescending to readers who already acknowledge their White privilege or understand why it’s unacceptable to use the N-word, he’s also attuned to the sensitive nature of the topic. As such, he has created “a place where questions you may have been afraid to ask get answered.” Acho has a deft touch and a historian’s knack for marshaling facts. He packs a lot into his concise narrative, from an incisive historical breakdown of American racial unrest and violence to the ways of cultural appropriation: Your friend respecting and appreciating Black arts and culture? OK. Kim Kardashian showing off her braids and attributing her sense of style to Bo Derek? Not so much. Within larger chapters, the text, which originated with the author’s online video series with the same title, is neatly organized under helpful headings: “Let’s rewind,” “Let’s get uncomfortable,” “Talk it, walk it.” Acho can be funny, but that’s not his goal—nor is he pedaling gotcha zingers or pleas for headlines. The author delivers exactly what he promises in the title, tackling difficult topics with the depth of an engaged cultural thinker and the style of an experienced wordsmith. Throughout, Acho is a friendly guide, seeking to sow understanding even if it means risking just a little discord.
This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-80046-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2020
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