Title: The New Civil War
Author: Michael A. Banks, Ph.D.
Publisher: Book-Art Press Solutions, LLC
ISBN: 978-1950024247
Pages: 102
Genre: Politics & Social Sciences/Sociology
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Pacific Book Review
The study of sociology has always been a contentious one, but important nonetheless. As Pierre Bourdieu once said, “The function of sociology, as of every science, is to reveal that which is hidden.” In author Michael A. Banks, Ph.D.’s book The New Civil War, the author explores modern history using sociology and examines some of the most critical and violent events which have shaped and changed society as a whole.
The book takes a speculative look at the case of a young man of Black youth who was gunned down by a security guard in a gated community, after several minutes of screaming and begging on the victim’s part, and the subsequent lack of justice that followed. This becomes the groundwork for years of struggle for societal change as more victims are claimed and the fight for racial equality, injustice, gun control and more become looked at through the lens of sociology.
The author takes a thorough yet speculative approach to the book. The immediate stand-out for this book is the author’s honest way of writing, stating that they are not approaching this from a firm stance in either direction and is merely speculating to see if things could have happened differently. The author uses sociology and the study of the subject to analyze these situations, from the murders of several members of the Black community over the years and well into the present to gun violence and how society is split upon these topics, dividing the nation.
This is a book for those who are interested in studying the more dividing and important subjects of our society, from racial injustice and tensions to gun violence and intolerance. The themes of this book are more important now than ever before in light of the murder of George Floyd and so many others, and this book does an excellent job of presenting the cases of the past and the present that should give readers a clear view of the facts for themselves. Most interesting is the never before heard testimony of witnesses the author includes, which highlights the actions of the defendant leading the murder, and how race played a major role in the defendant’s actions.
A powerful and quick read, author Michael A. Banks’ book The New Civil War is a truly engaging and educational read. Though admittedly speculative and not a clinical diagnosis of the situation, readers are presented the facts of the case, and through scenarios and testimony a picture can be formed which highlights the larger societal flaws our world faces. This is a must-read book which challenges the reader morally and mentally; a true necessity in the world of sociology in these modern times.
