NJ,
Finished the "Black Rednecks White Liberals" essay of the book, will attempt to stomach the rest tomorrow.
Sorry, was not impressed. First it mainly relied on anectdote. Cite an 18th Century British writer on how Scots are shiftless and lazy. Cite a northern US scholar on how southerners are shiftless and lazy. Then cite anectdotes describing modern urban blacks as shiftless and lazy. So the same term was used therefore there is a connection?
I am going to argue that a snobbish opinion on any race on any continent at any time is going to use similar terms. And more often than not Sowell's common terms will be part of it. Disregard for life, laziness, unwillingness to learn, quickness to insult, etc. All of it he uses can be found across social classes and cultures world-wide.
What Sowell fails to do is to make actual connections between the cultures he describes. That someone describes each of those cultures in the same terminology doesn't cut it. One could easily describe traditional western Native culture from a description from the 18th century and a modern analysis of reservations and say "See, they were always frivolous and simple" See the connection?
I am big on citations. And one thing I noticed is that Sowell relies heavily on them (nothing bad about that, we call it metanalysis in science) but a good number of his supposed hard numbers are his own publications. This is problematic. There is nothing wrong with citing yourself. But citing yourself from pubs where you (possibly?) cite others research is academically bad news. Cite yourself where you came up with original information, to cite yourself where you cite another statistic is at best academically sloppy and possibly indicative of fraud.
So, I see many of Sowell's points. I am not throwing out any babies with bathwater. No one can deny that African-Americans are in a bad situation overall in America. And I also believe that some black Americans are perpetuating this downfall by playing into white stereotypes. Upper middle class born gangster rappers certainly should look at themselves in shame for what they helped create. (Not to in any way release the guilt of major record label producers). And not to knock hip-hop or rap as well, merely those who chose to use it as a tool to perpetuate hate for bucks. (btw I am a huge Michael Franti fan, Beatnigs, Disposable Heroes of the HipHopcrisy, Spearhead).
I just realized it is 3:00 AM here. Although friday, it is late. I will respond to your points on this portion of the post before my other problems with Sowell's first essay.
Doctor Bashir: "Of all the stories you told me, which were true and which weren't?"
Elim Garak: "My dear Doctor, they're all true"
Doctor Bashir: "Even the lies?"
Elim Garak: "Especially the lies"