Caste The Origins of Our Discontents By Isabel Wilkerson

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK

"An instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far." — Dwight Garner, The New York Times

In "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson examines America's unspoken caste system, a hierarchy that has shaped the country and continues to define our lives. This book, hailed as a #1 nonfiction book of the year by Time and listed among the best books of the year by numerous publications, offers a deeply researched and immersive narrative that explores the hidden caste system in America.

Wilkerson links the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, identifying eight pillars that support these hierarchies, including divine will, bloodlines, and stigma. Through compelling stories of real people like Martin Luther King Jr., baseball legend Satchel Paige, and others, she illustrates how caste is experienced daily. She also reveals how the Nazis studied America's racial systems for their own agenda, and discusses the health costs and societal impacts of caste.

Ultimately, "Caste" is a powerful and eye-opening examination of how divisions shape us, and it points toward a path of common humanity. This masterful work urges America to transcend artificial separations and move toward a future of equality and hope.