Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.”

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more.

Cover of Deb Siverson's book The Cycle of Transformation

With all the ups and downs of the economy and the various dramas in the business world in recent years, good leadership is more crucial than ever before. But the old methods don’t seem to produce the desired results any longer.

Author Deb Siverson knows this from firsthand experience. She worked for twenty years under the old productivity-based coaching model before she was introduced to a more relational approach. But rather than exchange one for the other, she realized that both models had something to offer. So she blended their effective aspects and created her own coaching model: the Cycle of Transformation.

Now, leaders can learn how to become “leader coaches” who empower their employees to fully engage with the company, resulting in a mutually beneficial connection that improves job satisfaction—which leads to increased productivity and profits. Approaching their role relationally, leader coaches play an important role in transforming their employees’ lives at work. And this is no small accomplishment.

Often enlightening and always practical, The Cycle of Transformation informs readers how to develop trust, why it’s important to spark insight before pushing for action, and so much more.

Don’t you think it’s time you refresh your leadership approach?

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