Today is the first of my year end hiatus articles written well before publishing. As it turned out this could have been written back in February. Tellthetruhtonthem.com’s 2021 Book of the Year is The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee.

I bought The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together on February 9, 2021; the day it came out. 2021 saw a lot of good books, including those eligible for our Recommended Reading List, but none finer or more relevant than McGhee’s effort.

McGhee makes a largely economic anti-racism argument. She has an economic background having headed up Demos before moving over to The Color of Change. Her theory (and mine) is that the racist people who really need convincing will not listen to a moral argument but might be swayed by an economic one.

Beyond naming the recipient of the honor I want to take today to make another plea to give the gift of knowledge via reading this holiday season. Books are very simply a great gift. They are easy to wrap. They are used for hours and make people think. If good fiction, they can “transport” the reader.

Now I’ll really get into a personal preference; please buy them from an independent bookstore. Independent bookstores are largely mom and pop operations and I like to, in my small way, help keep them in business. The mom and pops are the cornerstones of any community. When a local charity or cause is looking for help, they are almost always the first to say yes.

Getting to independent bookstores specifically, they almost invariably have a helpful and knowledgeable staff. Tell them a bit about your Uncle John and they will have a bunch of suggestions. Ask about a topic or author and they will lead you to your destination. In the event that they do not have a specific book in stock they will be happy to order it for you. Many even offer delivery services including for out of town. If you are in a real quandary there are always gift cards available.

I ask you to support your local independent bookstore but if one does not exist, I’ll share mine with you. Page 158 in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Their website is www.page158books.com their phone number is 919-435-1843. They are fantastic and you can order via phone or the website.

By the way, if you like me are basically an eBook person you can also purchase them via an independent bookstore. The same goes for audiobooks. If you have questions work with your local independent bookseller, they will be happy to help you and they will appreciate the business.

This season – and in the coming ones – give the gift of knowledge; give the gift of reading. You might just make our world a little better place.

This article was written well ahead of publishing in order to accommodate my year end hiatus and is the property of tellthetruthonthem.com. Its content may not be used without citing th.e source. It may not be reproduced without the permission of Larry Marciniak