Why Black People Tend to Shout: Cold Facts and Wry Views from a Black Man's World

Black people ``shout,'' claims Sports Illustrated writer Wiley ( Serenity ), when their contained emotions--inner joy, pain, anger, confusion or frustration-- fight for expression and finally break out. All told, Wiley, who is black, shows there is reason enough for African-Americans to experience such tumultuous feelings. In discussions of work and business, aesthetics, public personalities and travel, he turns a perceptive eye on the black experience in contemporary America, from the virulent hatred of a David Dukes to black-on-black racism. The book certainly will provoke controversy--not the least its sections on culture; like many black males, Wiley disapproves of the politics of Alice Walker, but his belief that she is a mediocre writer certainly is debatable, as is his opinion that rap music meets the standards of jazz. The author's points are scored with skill and force. (Apr.)