The Lies That Bind (eBook)

[Appiah is] one of the most brilliant philosophers in the English-speaking world. He is an intellectual hero of mine... a brilliant and beautiful thinker. He writes with élan and clarity, erudition and wit.

Erudite, personal, timely and deeply humane, this is a book for our time.

A topical study, particularly given today's societal divisions in the US and UK.

This book will help a lot of people think with far more clarity about some of the thorniest issues of our times. An inspiring and essential read.

Through this meditative journey, Appiah calls on us to buckle down to the difficult task of living with complexity -that is, the task of being modern. Erudite, personal, timely and deeply humane, this is a book for our time.

There is barely a word in his book I don't agree with

Appiah believes we're in wars of identity because we keep making the same mistake: exaggerating our differences with others and our similarities with our own kind... [his] writing is often fresh, even beautiful... We need more thinkers as wise as Appiah.

A provocative and brilliant intervention into the current discussion of the role identity plays in our society. We're doing it all wrong, as Appiah demonstrates with characteristic erudition, clear thinking, and elegant prose.

Appiah's essays are exquisitely and painstakingly argued.

The Lies That Bind is a wise and erudite introduction to this most vexed of subjects.

If you are going to read only one book on identity this year, Appiah's is the one

This wonderful book unravels a tapestry of suppositions about identity. Understanding what draws us together and what tears us apart lies at the core of democracy. This is a vital book, an antidote to violent nativism, and a key to success in the human experiment.

Appiah makes the controversial and difficult subject of identity lucid, edifying, and even fun. When it comes to the humane values that allow us to live with one another, he may be our most penetrating?and entertaining?major philosopher.

Excellent... Appiah hopes to inspire a rethinking of our restrictive and therefore divisive notions of who we are. But if that seems an impossible task, should the massive obstacles stop us from trying? [Appiah] brings to the task a number of insights and the mind of a realist... if the solution to the fracturing of our world remains elusive, this book at least helps us think clearly about the problem.

Kwame Anthony Appiah again demonstrates that he is one of our foremost writers on identity, culture, and difference. With his trademark clarity, elegance, and rigor, he is a most useful guide to thinking through some of the complicated problems of who we are and what we can be.