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BOOK

The world and me

Ta-Nehisi Coates, a correspondent for The Atlantic, explains what it means to be an African-American in the United States in his award-winning book Between the World and Me.

Drawing from the style of James Baldwin's 1963 book The Fire Next Time, Coates addresses the rampant racism in the US. Interestingly, the book is written in the form of an open letter to Coates' 14-year-old son Samori. Through its pages, Coates hopes to prepare Samori for the challenges that young African-Americans face on the street and even in school.

Coates shares his tough childhood in West Baltimore and his inspiring college life at Howard University. He also depicts prominent incidents of social injustice in the US. What makes this book stand out is Coates' great writing. "The language of Between the World and Me, like Coates' journey, is visceral, eloquent and beautifully redemptive," US Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison comments.