The Lies That Bind

Rethinking Identity

By: Kwame Anthony Appiah

Narrated by: Kwame Anthony Appiah

We all know how identities - notably, those of nationality, class, culture, race, and religion - are at the root of global conflict, but the more elusive truth is that these identities are created by conflict in the first place.

In provocative, entertaining chapters, Kwame Anthony Appiah interweaves keen-edged argument with engrossing historical tales - from Anton Wilhelm Amo, the 18th-century African child who became an eminent European academic, to Italo Svevo, the literary genius who changed countries without leaving home - and reveals the tangled contradictions within the stories that define us. The concept of the sovereign nation, Appiah tells us, is incoherent. Our everyday notions of race are the detritus of discarded science; the very idea of Western culture is a shimmering mirage. These beliefs, and more, are crafted from confusions - confusions Appiah sorts through to imagine a more hopeful future.

©2018 Kwame Anthony Appiah (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"The author narrates his own work and does a terrific job. His reassuring, playful voice, tinged with a British accent, is immediately friendly and knowledgeable....overall, Appiah can count himself a double-threat." (AudioFile)

wonderful listen

ideas explained well.
Etymology of various commonly used terms was clearly explained.
worth listening a few times to get in all the names

Identity Politics Demystified

The investments that leaders of various stripes and creeds have made in exacerbating the natural human tendency towards essentialist identities are beautifully repudiated here, suggesting that the reader, now understanding origins, can be set free, to restate and celebrate what brings them joy, to curb (with a wit and humor which may be like the author’s but will nevertheless be their own and a source of happy pride), the obfuscation, the hate, that have spoiled our capacity both to own and to own up. Delightful.

H.S. students need to read Appiah

Dr. Appiah invites the reader to let go of rigid notions of class, place and singular identities to embrace our full humanity.

Different perspectives

Including class as an identity group was helpful since it is commonly left out. It seems to be an overlay to all of the major identity groups.

Mind blown!

This is my new favorite book. It should be required reading for anyone who thinks of themselves as a member of the human race. It's a nice touch that the author reads the book since his own personal identity is the starting point for the book's exploration. And although the work has real academic credibility, it's also totally accessible and down to Earth.

I can't recommend this enough. Buy it!