On Variety: The Eclipse of the Particular person in a International Period

A must read for anyone interested in meaningful understanding of “Diversity”
The first reviewer seems overly quick to express frustration at all the literary references, and has missed the point of the book. Jacoby is one of the sharpest critics of American intellectual life and a spirited progressive writer. In this latest book, he once again succeeds in pointing out the faults within our mass obsession with ideologies–this time, the “diversity” ideology. Readers might mistake Jacoby’s critique as an opposition to the practice of diversity, but what Jacoby actually finds problematic is “diversity” as an empty slogan. He wishes to open our eyes to the increasingly homogenizing forces of mass global culture, one that is increasingly undermining our differences— thus making us all the same. This is a book that should be read by anyone interested in achieving true diversity, and by anyone willing to engage with the meaning of diversity as the practice of distinct ideas and thought. Jacoby lays bare our attachment to a superficial notion of diversity that has come at the expense of: social and economic equality and justice, individual thought, freedom of speech, and cultural imagination. A must read.

A worthwhile unusual read
Jacoby is a brave, unusual, and exciting thinker. His snappy, ruthless writing makes his nuanced approach to a complex topic a fascinating read.

The book touches an interesting but at the same time controversial subject, namely, diversity. It explores multiple aspects of the meaning of diversity and reveals hidden or neglected views related to the significance of its interpretation. It develops with sort and concise sentences and stays throughout the text on the point it tries to make. The statements are clear and well supported by brilliantly researched references. A valuable voice coming from an endangered human specimen, that of a public intellectual.