Between the World and MeBetween the World and Me
Score Modern
What it's about
Written as a letter to his 15-year-old son, this is Ta-Nehisi Coates explaining what it means to live in a Black body in America. He moves from the fear that shaped his childhood in West Baltimore, to his awakening at Howard University, to the killing of a college friend by police, and on to Paris, where he glimpsed a different way to live. Part memoir, part history, part warning, it's a short, searching essay about how to live freely in a country that wasn't built for you.
Why it's worth reading
It's short enough to read in an evening and stays with you for years. Coates writes like a poet, and whatever you bring to it, it will change how you see American history and the present.
You'll love it if you liked
The Fire Next Time
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great MigrationGood to know
It's a personal essay, not a policy argument, so read it as a father talking to his son. About 150 pages, and many people read it in one sitting.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics95 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller83 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz4 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #3 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #5 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by Ta-Nehisi Coates
If you like this, read next
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
Persepolis: The Story of a ChildhoodExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Between the World and Me worth reading?
Yes. It's short enough to read in an evening and stays with you for years. It ranks #5 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 95.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Between the World and Me about?
Written as a letter to his 15-year-old son, this is Ta-Nehisi Coates explaining what it means to live in a Black body in America. He moves from the fear that shaped his childhood in West Baltimore, to his awakening at Howard University, to the killing of a college friend by police, and on to Paris, where he glimpsed a different way to live. Part memoir, part history, part warning, it's a short, searching essay about how to live freely in a country that wasn't built for you.
How long does it take to read Between the World and Me?
About 8 hours (337 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Between the World and Me won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2015).
What should I read after Between the World and Me?
If you liked it, try The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander or The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson.