Everyday Bias

September 8, 2014
To be human is to harbor deep and unconscious biases; this book aims to bring what is otherwise subterranean to light. Written by one of the nationâs leading diversity and leadership consultants, Ross swiftly shifts from research to personal experience to current events to illustrate the ubiquity of bias in our minds. The author is most convincing when he draws on major news stories to illustrate the layers bias at work. He explicates the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin, clearly pointing to multiple underlying biases and the resulting implications. Other parts of the book are not as illuminating and the connection to bias gets lost in explanations, for example, the section on selective attention seems equally as relevant to an array of psychological phenomena. The practical steps for dealing with bias that are provided in the last chapters do offer some consolation. We might never fully eradicate our biases, but Rossâs study can at least help us to coexist more peacefully with them.