ThickThick
Score Modern
What it's about
Eight essays by the sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom on being a Black woman in America: on beauty and who gets to have it, on being called too much, on competence and how it's judged, on politics and on money. In the most painful essay, she writes about losing her premature daughter after doctors didn't believe her when she said she was in labor.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist. Cottom is sharp, funny and original, and she combines scholarship with her own life in a way few writers can.
You'll love it if you liked
Between the World and Me
How to Be an Antiracist
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) BodyGood to know
The essays draw on sociology, so some passages are dense. It's short.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics28 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz10 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
- #321 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #641 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Thick worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #641 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Thick about?
Eight essays by the sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom on being a Black woman in America: on beauty and who gets to have it, on being called too much, on competence and how it's judged, on politics and on money. In the most painful essay, she writes about losing her premature daughter after doctors didn't believe her when she said she was in labor.
How long does it take to read Thick?
About 6 hours (244 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Thick?
If you liked it, try Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi or Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay.