The author covers important topics where Americans tend to speak without listening, often relying on stereotyping rather than seeing people as individuals. She references historical philosophers as well as modern political gurus and various notables, as well as sharing anecdotes from interactions she has had with people from different walks of life and various regions of the US. The proof I read did not include any source notes/footnotes, but they should be available online by publication time, and Manji invites respectful discussion through email.

The book is conversational in style and very accessible in tone. Manji offers advice and solutions that are attainable without being overly preachy. I really enjoyed the content and I feel that the material in this book is important and well-considered.

At the same time, I found the style of the book detracted from its usefulness. It was essentially a monologue, with little interruptions and and counterpoints couched as if they came from her beloved pet dog. That in itself feels a little silly to me for a topic that is important, although I'm sure that's just a matter of taste. I feel that it would have been possible to write essays in the same clear and conversational tone without relying on the dog theme. I can accept it as a stylistic choice, but for me that is a detractor. Another issue that makes the book harder to use as a learning tool is that the chapters (mini-essays?) are not really organized in any way that I could determine, and the chapter titles tend towards the cute and the clever rather than to exposition.

about how to get past labels (essentially, prejudicial stereotypes) in a conversational and accessible way. She references