EqualEngineers' Top 5 books on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

To celebrate World Book Day today, we are highlighting the top 5 ED&I books that contribute to making our society a more equal, diverse and inclusive place.

The Gender Agenda: A First-Hand Account of How Girls and Boys Are Treated Differently

By: James Millar and Ros Ball

Excerpt: “Our kids weren’t born different; it was the world around them that was treating them differently. The way people spoke to them and the language they use, the toys and clothes they gave them, and the expectations they had of them – they were enforcing certain gender roles, they were policing their behaviour.”

Why we love it: The Gender Agenda is an interesting perspective on our society and the roles we are each expected to play. Millar and Ball discuss their experiences with their own children and shine a light on how boys and girls are treated differently in a world that tries to enforce dated stereotypes.

Let Them See You: The Guide for Leveraging Your Diversity at Work

By: Porter Braswell

Excerpt: “Defining diversity is just the first step in addressing what ails countless companies around the country. To build a truly diverse workforce, companies have to stop relying on referrals and seek help from the communities they’re trying to reach.”

Why we love it: Porter offers an insightful and relevant take on the issues surrounding workforce diversity. As a person of colour (POC), he gives advice on how companies can improve their diversity efforts, while advising other POC professionals on how to navigate a workforce that still has a long way to go on the road to inclusivity.

Young Heroes

By: Lula Bridgeport

Excerpt: “Do you dream of making your community a better, happier and safer place for all? Sometimes, it only takes one person to make a change. And what’s even more exciting is that you don’t have to wait until you’re older to do it – you can be amazing at any age!”

Why we love it: Bridgeport does an amazing job of highlighting diverse young heroes from a wide range of backgrounds in a variety of fields such as STEM, Film and Music, Environment, and Business. Her book is all about teaching children and young adults alike that they can grow up to be anything they want, regardless of their diversity story.

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men 

By: Caroline Criado Perez 

Excerpt: “Most of recorded human history is one big data gap. Starting with the theory of Man the Hunter, the chroniclers of the past have left little space for women’s role in the evolution of humanity, whether cultural or biological. Instead, the lives of men have been taken to represent those of humans overall.”

Why we love it: Perez delivers an incredible expose into the world of man-led data and its consequences when it comes to women’s health and safety. She assures the reader that the gender data gap isn’t a malicious or deliberate attempt to harm women. Rather, it comes from how the world has been built to create a society that thinks in a way that excludes women.

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race

By: Reni Eddo-Lodge 

Excerpt: “This book is the product of five years of agitations, frustration, exhausting explanations, and paragraph-long Facebook comments. It’s about not just the explicit side, but the slippery side of racism – the bits that are hard to define, and the bits that make you doubt yourself. Britain is still profoundly uncomfortable with race and difference.”

Why we love it: A poignant and honest look at systemic racism and the uncomfortable truth that it still divides the world, our workplaces, and society as a whole. Eddo-Lodge discusses the history that has led to a system that allows white privilege and the status quo to exist, while discussing how it affects and disenfranchises people of colour. A must-read for white people and POC alike, Eddo-Lodge has something to say we all need to hear.