ARC Review: Twice as Hard

Title: Twice As Hard: Navigating Black Stereotypes and Creating Space for Success
Author: Opeyemi Sofoluke & Raphael Sofoluke
Source/Format: Bookish First and DK Publishing; Paperback ARC
Publisher/ Release date: DK; Jun 15, 2021

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Synopsis From Goodreads:

An inspirational book about what it means to be Black in the working world, with practical steps on how to overcome prejudice to find success
This book is an exercise in building your network. We've spoken to over 40 successful business people to help you gain from their advice and create space for your own personal growth. Twice As Hard is an exploration of Black identity in the working world and a blueprint for success. You will learn what obstacles limit opportunity for Black professional progress, how to understand and overcome racial stereotypes, be productive, find purpose, and ultimately thrive in business.
(Read the rest on Goodreads)

What I Thought:

Twice as Hard by Opeyemi Sofoluke & Raphael Sofoluke is a mixture of statistics, advice, and interviews. It also goes into some details about the experiences that people have as Black professionals. Besides advice, it is definitely much food for thought.

 
I barely read the synopsis, so I went into this initially thinking it was going to be mostly interviews. But, as I mentioned above, it was a mixture –which I loved. It had a lot of personal anecdotes and quotes from the interviewees. Plus, there wasn’t much paraphrasing, essentially letting the contributors add their own voices. But that’s not all. Each chapter delves into various situations using statistics, the authors’ own experiences, and the interviews to back it up. Situations like draining experiences and feeling unwelcome in certain spaces, especially in corporate ones. However, at every turn there was a piece of positive, uplifting, and encouraging advice to get through. Finally, I absolutely loved that the last chapter is full of advice from everyone, and the reflective questions at the end of all the chapters (except the final).

Over all, I enjoyed Twice as Hard and the advice that comes with it. I recommend checking it out if it seems interesting to you.

I received this book from Bookish First and DK for this review.

Thanks for reading!