Cool Pose : The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America

This book was written in a very easy to understand way. The author was trying to be balanced in his opinions. He explained why many black men have been forced to create their own cultural values, and seek alternative methods of employment, as a result of being excluded from the mainstream white culture. This book is now 30 years old. So, keep that in mind. The author's arguments make sense up to a point, but beyond that I sense a bit of excuse making for criminal behavior for some black men. All in all, I found this to be an interesting read. The author promotes the party line of blacks as victims. I'm not sure that I buy that anymore. Blacks have had a lot of opportunities, but this book doesn't really emphsize that.

This book could help shed a great deal of light on the tensions that exist between the police and black males. One can deduce from it that the strong urge to act "cool" in all circumstances might be a contributing factor to the unnecessary death of young black men when confronted by persons of authority. While acknowledging that racism is strong in our society, it is not sufficient to fully explain the dynamics of what happens in a confrontation between the police and members of the black community that often has disastrous consequences. Especially pertinent is the concept of "woofing" or "playing the nines", a practice in which young black men verbally insult each other in an escalating attempt to out-insult one's opponent .This is meant to be nonviolent and nonphysical, but when practiced with members of the white community who are not familiar with the "game", it is perceived as threatening and often winds up being fatal.

a great read.

This book is necessary and timeless.

Good read

The book got to me when it was supposed to (even though it was on a Sunday)... The book itself is a really good read. The publications date is a little old, but it is still very relevant to today.

Highly Recommend!

This book was a required reading for my social work class. I had not heard of this book at all but once I picked the book up I could not put this book down. This book opened my eyes to the butt naked truth about black people. I recommend this book to anyone desiring insight and understanding of black men.