A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick An Indie Next Pick Apple''s Best of January Amazon''s Spotlight Best Pick of the Month One of Barnes & Noble Reads "Most Anticipated for January" One of Entertainment Weekly ''s "Best Books to Keep You Warm this January" One of Washington Post ''s "10 Books to Read in January" One of Fortune ''s "Best Books for January" One of Essence ''s "21 Books We Can''t Wait to Read in 2021" One of Marie Claire ''s "29 Best New 2021 Books" One of Vanity Fair ''s "Books to Get You Through Winter" One of Cosmopolitan ''s "Best New Books 2021" One of PopSugar ''s "Books Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2021" One of Poets & Writer ''s "New and Noteworthy" One of SheReads '' "The Best 12 Books of Winter" One of Alma ''s "Favorite Books for Winter 2021" One of Book Riot ''s "January Book Recommendations" One of Debutiful ''s "10 Debut Books You Should Read this January" One of UpNewsInfo ''s "10 Best New Books for January" One of Chapters of May ''s "Books to Add to Your 2021 Reading List" "An irresistible comic novel about the tenacity of racism in corporate America . Black Buck , which marks the launch of an effervescent new career, is alternately sly and sweet, a work of cultural criticism that laments and celebrates the power of money . Askaripour has a sharp eye for the comic absurdity of online start-ups . What makes Black Buck rise above other corporate satires is Askaripour''s dexterous treatment of race in the modern workplace . This is satire richly fertilized with Trumpist anxiety . It''s a brilliant sendup of the way some privileged people respond to the gentlest, most practical efforts to combat discrimination. But don''t imagine you''ve got Askaripour all figured out. The syncopated tone of Black Buck keeps the story constantly shifting.
In these pages, even cringe-inducing moments can suddenly slip into wise counsel or heartfelt confession. No matter how lacerating this vision of systemic racism is, Darren seems buoyed by a generous spirit, a well of joy that feels downright miraculous." --Ron Charles, Washington Post "Darkly comic . The message at the heart of this novel [is] very American, that the power is in the pitch . Black Buck is not unlike The Great Gatsby , in its own way." --NPR, Weekend Edition "A combination of character study, searing indictment of all the problematics of white corporate culture, and some good old-fashioned enjoyable sarcasm." -- Entertainment Weekly , "The best books to keep you warm this January" "A must-read . Buck''s journey is one you should invest in for 2021 without question.
" -- BET , "Is Mateo Askaripour''s Debut Novel the Blackest Book of 2021?" "Mateo Askaripour begins his debut, which follows Brooklyn-dwelling Darren as he''s plucked from his Starbucks manager job by a start-up CEO and crashed into a sales job as the only Black member of the company, with an author''s note that the book might be used as a reference by aspiring Black salesmen. It''s a satirical construct that informs this razor-sharp send-up of ladder-climbing office culture, and all the systemic and individual racism it perpetuates. Preorder for your 2021 reading list." -- Vanity Fair , "The Books and Totes That Will Get You Through This Winter" "Askaripour wields a sharp satirical blade to deliver social commentary . He may have written the first satire that doubles as self-help." -- Los Angeles Times "[A] bold satire about corporate sales tactics.Pick this up if you''re exhausted by LLC Twitter." -- Essence , "21 Books We Can''t Wait to Read in 2021" "A razor-sharp and highly intelligent debut, Black Buck brings the idea of the American Dream into a new century.
It is a darkly comic novel about a young Black man named Darren, who moves from trying workplace drama to a rollercoaster journey of self-actualization. A novel bred to make you think." -- B&N Reads "[ Black Buck is] one of those books where, the minute you pick it up, you are in the story--rooting for the heroes, rooting for the neighborhood, rooting for Darren Vender who will transform before your very eyes . A wild ride, a mash-up between the humor of the everyday and the insanity of start-up culture. The best part is that Mateo Askaripour incorporates specific lessons throughout the book to give readers the basic training to get a sales job." -- Amazon Book Review "Propulsive . This razor-sharp tale skewers America''s workforce, explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream." -- Fortune , "21 Anticipated Books for January" "Askaripour eviscerates corporate culture in his funny, touching debut .
A winning and layered bildungsroman . " -- Publishers Weekly , starred review "Extraordinary . Askaripour has created a skillfully written, biting, witty, and absurdist novel that sheds light on racism, start-up culture, corporate morality, media bias, gentrification, and many other timely, important themes. Askaripour is an author to watch." -- Booklist , starred review "A witty yet thrilling examination of the complexities of race in corporate America . Black Buck is an ambitious book. While being an intellectual and captivating work of satire, it also serves as an instruction manual for Black and brown people working in white-dominated spaces. Askaripour embeds tokens of wisdom in his well-crafted plot and delivers direct messages of advice and encouragement to readers.
There is great risk in such ambition, but Askaripour is a fine writer and superbly executes his vision. This is an entertaining, accessible and thorough look at America''s race problem, a book both of the moment and one for all seasons. It''s a necessary read for those living under the weight of oppressive systems as well as for those looking to better understand their complicity within them." -- BookPage , starred review "A first novel that satirically lays out the wretched excesses of turn-of-the-21st-century capitalism as it both enriches and disfigures a bright young Black man''s coming-of-age . jazzily discursive and rhythmically propulsive . with punchy, go-for-broke mother-wit." -- Kirkus Reviews "Askaripour''s satire revolves around the rudderless Darren, whose fortunes change when he joins the sales team of a strange start-up where he''s the sole employee of color. But soon, family trouble convinces him to use his newfound success for his community''s good.
" -- Washington Post , "10 Books to Read in January" "Askaripour closes the deal on the first page of this mesmerizing novel, executing a high wire act full of verve and dark, comic energy." --Colson Whitehead, author of The Nickel Boys "A hilarious, gleaming satire as radiant as its author. Askaripour has announced himself as a major talent of the school of Ralph Ellison, Paul Beatty, Fran Ross, and Ishmael Reed. Full of quick pacing, frenetic energy, absurd--yet spot on--twists and turns, and some of the funniest similes I''ve ever read, this novel is both balm and bomb." --Nafissa Thompson-Spires, author of Heads of the Colored People "I fell in love with this book and Buck from the first page. Mateo has not only authentically captured the feeling of being seen as ''other,'' but he''s also managed to delicately show the way in which so many people protect themselves by creating an alter ego out of self-preservation. Buck''s journey is filled with heartache, laughter, fear, success, and karma." --Jay Ellis, actor, director, producer " Black Buck is a madcap look at compromises Black people make while trying to get ahead.
When are you code-switching, and when is the code switching you? Mateo Askaripour didn''t write a novel, he crafted a business book forged in the abyss as it stares back. It''s a world that looks an awful lot like the hell we''re in." --Rion Amilcar Scott, author of The World Doesn''t Require You "When Darren, our protagonist, is offered the opportunity of a lifetime, this unforgettable story sets off at lightspeed. Combining such humor, intelligence, heartbreak, and narrative skill in one book takes immense talent. Mateo Askaripour has accomplished this task with room to spare. Black Buck is an important treatise on Black ambition; Mateo Askaripour is an important writer, a voice we need. We should all look forward to what he produces next." --Gabriel Bump, author of Everywhere You Don''t Belong " Black Buck is funny, sharp and carried by a voice that is entirely its own.
This debut is ambitious and Askaripour''s daring pays off beautifully." --Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Friday Black "Askaripour hits all the right notes . A hilarious but also sobering satire of modern capitalism and the toll it takes on our minds, bodies, and souls." <.