In an effort to connect with my pupils at Heritage College, where I teach business management, I eagerly consumed The Fragile Mind. My mission as a professor is to “contribute to the success of my students by building a better understanding of my students as learners.” Dr. Conrad’s book not only increased my understanding of the students with whom I interact with on a daily basis, it also gave me insight to my own unsconscious bias.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an intelligent perspective on the racial disparities in America.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scott S. Cairns (Jacksonville, Fl.)As an employment lawyer who deals every day with the issue of race in the workplace, I found “The Fragile Mind”, by Dr. Jarik Conrad, to be one of the first books to recognize and cogently explain the divergent views that people of different backgrounds bring to conflict, in the workplace and in other situations. I highly recommend it, particularly to human resource and legal professionals who must regularly deal with such conflict.
Dr. Conrad begins with an explanation of his own background in East St. Louis, and explores the way he reacted to the conditions there, as well as the way his relatives and friends reacted. He then moves to a discussion of a model for understanding why some succeed, as he did, whereas others are dragged down. His model is not just based in sociology, but also in psychology and the physiology of the human mind. In combination, he presents a model that makes sense. While the focus is on race, his model can have application on a broader scale.
Providing a basis for readers to understand these issues is very important, but Dr. Conrad goes further. He provides an opportunity for the reader to better address the conscious and subconscious barriers that stand in the way of success in our society. He does so in an interesting, balanced and clear way. Quite an achievement.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chip Webster
President, Leadership Centers USA - TEC Florida
St. Petersburg, FLI have been a student of human behavior for over 50 years and have been puzzled by some individual inability to become unstuck and realize their potential. The Fragile Mind, has helped me unlock the secret to the puzzle. No matter your political leanings or racial heritage ( I am a white Republican ) this is a conversation we need to have in order for the United States to compete in the global economy. Dr. Conrad brings a fresh, honest perspective to this critical subject and is posing the right questions.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Thoughts on a Tough Topic, August 13, 2008
By Bud Bilanich “The Common Sense Guy” (Denver, CO)
Recently, I had the opportunity to read an important book, “The Fragile Mind,” by Jarik Conrad. Dr. Conrad came up the hard way. He was born in East St. Louis IL. I know East St Louis. I have often described it as the worst combination of urban and rural poverty that I have ever seen.Jarik Conrad grew up in a housing project there. He went on to receive a BA from the University of Illinois, an MBA and MILR from Cornell, and an EdD from the University of North Florida. He runs Conrad Consulting Group, helping organizations solve complex human relations challenges.
In “The Fragile Mind,” he takes on a big subject: race in America. In the Preface he says, (when speaking of America’s declining global competitiveness…) “Rarely is there mention of one of the most significant threats to our nation’s future - America’s troubling racial disparities in education, employment, income, wealth, incarceration, health care and housing.”
Dr. Conrad deals with these sensitive topics in an even handed manner in “The Fragile Mind.” And, in my opinion, he does a great job. He says,
“Perhaps nothing is more complex in America than race relations. While there has been substantial progress since the Civil rights Act of 1964, people of color, especially Blacks have yet to experience proportionate levels of economic success. For this to happen, we must reject the misguided “either/or” notion in popular discourse that claims either outright discrimination by Whites, or a lack or personal responsibility by black is the cause of the sobering disparities. We must recognize that we are all complicit in this problem, and the culprit is our fragile minds. As brilliant as the human mind is, its design sometimes works against us - particularly when dealing with people from different backgrounds. The mind’s fragility has resulted in individual, institutional and structural bias by some Whites in America, as well as complacency and irresponsibility by some Blacks to perpetuate disparities between the two groups. The answers to Black and White are hardly ever black and white, they are usually gray.”Dr. Conrad uses this measured tone throughout as he wrestles with the complexities of race in twenty first century America. He provides an historical framework on the roots of disparity in our society and explains how disparities are perpetuated. Then he offers a new approach to inclusion.
All in all, I found this book to be fascinating reading. As I’ve mentioned above, I appreciate the measured tone Dr. Conrad takes throughout the discussion. I’m sure his arguments will upset both a few Blacks and a few Whites as well as a few on the left and a few on the right. However, I think he has written a book that we all should read. In today’s America, we cannot continue to ignore disparities based on race.
