38 pages • 1 hour read
Mychal Denzel SmithStakes is High: Life After the American Dream
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In Stakes is High, Mychal Denzel Smith critiques the notion of the American Dream, proposing instead a society free from systemic racism and constant policing. The collection, split into four parts, examines topics such as capitalism, economic and social justice, and the American legal system, culminating in a call for a new narrative that acknowledges and dismantles oppressive systems. The book includes discussions of sexual assault, racial violence, and systemic oppression.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Mychal Denzel Smith's Stakes Is High is praised for its incisive analysis of systemic racism and insightful personal narratives. Critics appreciate Smith's candid, thought-provoking style and advocacy for radical change. However, some readers find the tone overly pessimistic and the arguments occasionally repetitive. Overall, it's a compelling, imperative read on social justice.
Who Should Read Stakes Is High?
A reader who would enjoy Stakes Is High by Mychal Denzel Smith is passionate about social justice, systemic inequality, and racial issues. This book will resonate with fans of Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, blending personal narrative with incisive cultural critique.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsBook Details
Race / Racism
Social Justice
Politics / Government
African American Literature
Society: Nation
Society: Class
Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice