This is an impressive followup to Patricia J. Williams high voltage 1991 The Alchemy of Race and Rights. The author, a professor of law at Columbia University and a free-lance writer, presents a multidimensional look at the meanspiritedness that is afoot in American culture today. The persistence of prejudice is evident in rampant racism and overt gender and class warfare. Williams, who recently adopted a child at age 40, speaks out for all black women who are single parents and stressed. She criticizes the polemical bigotry which is a staple of right-wing radio shows and TV talk shows that condone and perpetrate racism, anti-Semitism, and gender stereotypes. Williams--like many others--is distressed by the power of the media to stir up fear, hatred, and distrust between different segments of the population.