The Readers was a book club started by American rapper Lupe Fiasco in 2010. Its mission was "to promote literacy and provide thought-provoking and inspiring readings to the citizens of the world."
He wrote of Professor Vincent Brown's 2010 book, The Reaper's Garden, "Rarely do I read books to a great extent. Trust me I've tried. More so of a lecture/podcast kind of person. Unless the subject matter of the book is obsessively focused on a topic that I'm currently studying or unless the book has been suggested to me by someone I genuinely respect and revere it's hard for me to keep it in my attention for too long. This book checked off both those boxes. The author, who just so happens to be the "suggester" as well, is Dr. Vincent Brown esteemed Professor of African and African-American Studies, and Director of the History Design Studio at Harvard University and his 2008 book is titled "The Reaper's Garden." In short the book focuses on the Transatlantic slave trade and very specifically Jamaica. Jamaica was a colonial British slavery outpost for hundreds of years. There are many books which detail the transatlantic slave trade but what sets Dr. Brown's book apart is that it focuses on the slave trade through a very particular lens: Death. The book does a masterful job of systematically analyzing the role that death as a metaphysical concept and a physical reality played in the institution of slavery in all its subtle and not so subtle ways in rather eye-opening detail. From how funerary rites, or lack thereof, were used by slaves and slave owners to establish footholds for revolt for the former and means to control their human property for the latter to how death was basically quantified and used as a tool for enrichment via insurance policies for slave ships and so much more. It is a fascinating read from a point of view that I've never seen a history of slavery told from, Death. So if you are highly interested in the history or slavery of Jamaica or an academic look at Death I highly, highly recommend this book. But a warning, it is graphic in its subject matter and not really fit for people's that are easily upset because it will most definitely upset you greatly in certain chapters. It explains out slavery in a very matter of fact way that some folk may not be ready for. Even with that said the rewards far outweigh the risks but just keep that in mind. Overall it's a great, concise and valuable read."[1]
Recommendations[]
Title
Year
Author
Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
