35 Dumb Things Well-Intended People Say: Surprising Things We Say That Widen the Diversity Gap

Written by Maura Cullen

Narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal

Even well-intended people can cause harm!

Have you ever heard yourself or someone else say: "Some of my best friends are… (Black, White, Asian, etc.)”? or “I don't think of you as… (Gay, Disabled, Jewish, etc.)"? or “I don't see color, I'm colorblind"? These statements and dozens like them can build a divide between us and the people we interact with. Though well-intended, they often widen the diversity gap sometimes causing irreparable harm personally and professionally.

If you've ever wanted to be more effective in your communication with others, or have been afraid of saying the wrong thing, then this concise guide is essential to becoming more inclusive and diversity-smart.

A powerful diversity training tool from one of the most respected diversity trainers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781531830397

Maura Cullen

Dr. Maura Cullen received her doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in Social Justice & Diversity Education and has over 25 years of experience as a diversity trainer and keynote speaker. Meet her at www.MauraCullen.com.

Reviews for 35 Dumb Things Well-Intended People Say

[m9henderson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a student on a conservative college campus trying to bring more diversity awareness to the population, I found "35 Dumb Things" to be a pretty good resource for starting conversation. Dr. Cullen covers a large range of issues in the book, while still keeping the book concise enough to be relatively interesting. Unfortunately, it may not be interesting enough and I don't believe the people who actually need to be more aware of their language would pick up a copy of "35 Dumb Things" just for fun. Perhaps the book is best used as a gift if you have an abrasive personality in your family, but then you definitely stand the risk of making them very angry for implying their imperfection.On the other hand, after meeting Dr. Cullen and seeing one of her speeches, I found her to be a much more charismatic speaker than writer. If you have the opportunity to see her in person, do it, and then get this book as a reminder of what she had to say. If you can't go see her, read the book. It's worth it for the basic attention that Dr. Cullen brings to the issues, but don't necessarily expect some huge enlightenment about human behavior either.