100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery 🚀 Auckland Bookstore Open 7 days 8:30am - 5pm

How to Argue With a Racist

History, Science, Race and Reality
3.89 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 6,554 ratings, 853 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How to Argue With a Racist by Adam Rutherford offers a compelling examination of the misuse of science to justify racism. The book debunks common myths about race and genetics, revealing how modern science proves the fallacies behind racist beliefs. It's an enlightening read for anyone interested in understanding the facts and dismantling prejudiced arguments.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy Adam Rutherford's book if you're interested in understanding the scientific basis that debunks misconceptions about race, and appreciate thoughtful discussions on genetics and history that counteract racism. It could appeal to those who seek informed arguments against prejudice, backed by scientific evidence.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The Sunday Times bestselling manifesto for a twenty-first century understanding of human evolution and variation - and a weapon against scientific racism

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

'The ultimate anti-racism guide' Caroline Criado Perez

'Seriously important' Bill Bryson

'A fascinating debunking of racial pseudoscience' Guardian

How to Argue With a Racist by Adam Rutherford is a compelling and essential guide that confronts the myths and misconceptions surrounding race, using the latest scientific evidence and historical facts. In this enlightening book, Rutherford takes on the pseudoscientific claims that have fuelled racist ideologies for centuries and continues to challenge them with modern genetics and evolutionary studies.

Rutherford explores how misunderstanding and misusing science can perpetuate harmful racial stereotypes. Through engaging and accessible discussions, he elucidates what genetics can and can't tell us about human differences, ultimately showing us the shared humanity that unites all people. The book covers various aspects, including sports, intelligence, ancestry, and physical characteristics, providing readers with the knowledge to counteract racist arguments effectively.

This updated edition of How to Argue With a Racist includes a new Preface from the author, reflecting on recent developments and further insights into combating racism with scientific understanding. Rutherford’s meticulous research and eloquent writing make this book a vital manifesto for the 21st century, empowering readers with the tools to dismantle systemic racism and appreciate human diversity.

With endorsements from notable figures and critical acclaim, How to Argue With a Racist is an indispensable read for those seeking to understand the true nature of human evolution and variation. It is not just a book, but a timely weapon against the misuse of science in the justification of racism.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

How to Argue With a Racist by Adam Rutherford receives praise for its timely debunking of racial pseudoscience and its engaging, enlightening content. Reviewers highlight its importance in providing scientific tools to challenge racism, with some describing it as a compelling, data-driven anti-racism guide. The book is also noted for its potential life-saving impact and Rutherford's skill in addressing challenging subjects.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781474611251

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 February 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 200g

Pages: 224

About the Author

Dr Adam Rutherford is a scientist, writer and broadcaster. He has written and presented award-winning series and programmes for the BBC, including Radio 4's Inside Science and The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry with Dr Hannah Fry. He is the author of Creation, shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Prize, A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, The Book of Humans, the Sunday Times bestselling How to Argue With a Racist and the co-author of Rutherford and Fry's Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged).

Also by Adam Rutherford

View all
  • A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
    A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford is a fascinating exploration of human existence told through the lens of genetics. This book presents an enthralling narrative that delves into the essence of who we are as a species and how we came to be. Rutherford embarks on a captivating journey, taking readers from the ancient past...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
    Pre-order
    A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived
    This is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Pre-order
    Out 1 Sep 2026
  • Rutherford and Fry’s Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged)
    The presenters of BBC Radio 4's flagship show, The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry, set about explaining why the world is as it is and celebrate how we know what we know (even while we get so much wrong). In Rutherford and Fry's Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged), they tell the complete story of the universe and absolutely...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Control
    How did an obscure academic idea pave the way to the Holocaust within just fifty years? Why does eugenics still loom large in the 21st century, despite its genocidal past? Did eugenics work? Could it work? Or was it always a pseudoscientific fantasy? Throughout history, people have sought to reduce suffering, eliminate disease and enhance desirable qualities in their children....
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Book of Humans
    The Book of Humans WHAT MAKES US HUMAN? Waging war? Sex for pleasure? Creating art? Mastery of fire? In this thrilling tour of the animal kingdom, Adam Rutherford tells the story of how we became the unique creatures we are today. Illuminated by the latest scientific discoveries, The Book of Humans is a dazzling compendium of what unequivocally fixes us...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Where Are You Really From?
    *Winner of The Week Junior's Children's Book of the Year: STEM 2024!**Shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize 2024!*'Laugh out loud funny - and you'll learn lots too!' - Adam Kay, author of Kay's Anatomy and Kay's Incredible Inventions.'If I had had such a book when I was 10 or 11, I might well have set my sights...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Science & Nature

View all
  • John and Paul
    THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'A triumph.' Deborah Levy, New Statesman 'Tremendous.' Alwyn Turner, The Times 'Revelatory.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The gold standard of Beatles books.' Anthony Quinn, Observer 'As enthralling and astonishing as their music.' Jon Dennis, Sunday Telegraph 'A masterpiece.' Dylan Jones, Evening Standard '[Ian Leslie]...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    19% off
    What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
    CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' — BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' — TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' — NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...
    Hardback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Anxious Generation
    A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood—and all human relationships—from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces—communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Prisoners of Geography
    Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history – because if you don’t know geography, you’ll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...
    Paperback
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Buy to Win
    Diddly Squat: Home to Roost
    It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost? Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. The spring crop failed. Farming sheep, pigs, and cows was hardly more lucrative (better off breeding ostriches...) But in the face of uncooperative weather, bureaucracy, and the world's persistent refusal to recognise his genius, our hero's not...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Place of Tides
    To save the world, we have to start somewhere. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old trade that had once made men and women rich, but had long been...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Usually:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Ultra-Processed People
    Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Kitchen Confidential
    The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Buy to Win
    Sapiens
    Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Invisible Women
    Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is a groundbreaking and meticulously researched exploration into the pervasive gender bias that infiltrates every aspect of our society. Through compelling case studies and thorough analysis, this book unveils the hidden ways women are systematically disadvantaged in a world predominantly designed by and for men. Perez's revelations stretch across various sectors including government policy,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Clean & Green
    Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that...
    Paperback
    $2999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Genetic Book of the Dead
    From one of the world’s great science writers, a book that explores the deepest principles of evolutionary history. In this groundbreaking new approach to the evolution of all life, Richard Dawkins shows how the body, behaviour, and genes of every living creature can be read as a book – an archive of the worlds of its ancestors. A perfectly camouflaged...
    Hardback
    $4900
    Elsewhere:
    $5499
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.