The first chapter in "race matters" was the deepest. West dealt with the "nihilistic threat". It was stuff I already knew but had not yet put it down on paper. He broke it down like a sermonic treatise. I was feeling him on that chapter. I haven't looked at that book in about 3 or 4 years. Cornel West is not for everybody. I don't agree with a lot of his views especially his views on lesbianism and homosexuality. In fact, I think when he tries to reconcile his Christian beliefs with certain behaviors, he is the most intellectually dishonest. I have read all of his works from short fictional stories to autobiographical works to his collaborations with other writers. I find his thinking to be clear, organized, and easy to follow. Yes, you should have a dictionary near by but if you are trying to improve your mind and your vocabulary then that's how you do it.