Black Buck
A Novel
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4.4 • 50 Ratings
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
“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
There’s nothing like a Black salesman on a mission.
An unambitious twenty-two-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother, who wants nothing more than to see him live up to his potential as the valedictorian of Bronx Science. But Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a Midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya, and eating his mother’s home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of Sumwun, NYC’s hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team on the thirty-sixth floor.
After enduring a “hell week” of training, Darren, the only Black person in the company, reimagines himself as “Buck,” a ruthless salesman unrecognizable to his friends and family. But when things turn tragic at home and Buck feels he’s hit rock bottom, he begins to hatch a plan to help young people of color infiltrate America’s sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.
Black Buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of America’s workforce; it is a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
With its pointed depictions of race, class, and the definition of success, Mateo Askaripour’s satirical novel is both hilarious and dead-on. Everyone’s pushing 22-year-old Darren to want more than his coffee shop job. The former valedictorian’s mom, girlfriend, and Bed-Stuy neighbors all think he should be doing better, but he doesn’t much care until he meets the charismatic CEO of a booming Manhattan tech startup. Soon, Darren is his protégé—and, uncomfortably, his only Black employee. We were clinging on for dear life as Darren skyrocketed to the top of the sales department, awkwardly accepting his new co-workers’ highly problematic new nickname, Buck, along with the unthinking racism of people who say “I don’t see color.” The intense energy of this sometimes-unsettling novel gives a vibe not unlike Boots Riley’s landmark film Sorry to Bother You as Darren grapples with his increasingly poisonous overnight success.
Customer Reviews
Black Buck
Black Buck is more than a satirical novel—it’s a raw, unflinching exploration of identity, ambition, and the cost of assimilation in a system built to exclude. For someone like you, Corey, who champions ethical leadership and uplifts others through mentorship, this book resonates as both a cautionary tale and a call to action.
🔍 What It’s About
Darren, a young Black man from Bed-Stuy, is plucked from his Starbucks job into the high-octane world of tech sales. Rebranded as “Buck,” he’s thrust into a cult-like startup where success demands shedding parts of himself. As he climbs the ranks, he grapples with the tension between personal ambition and communal responsibility—ultimately choosing to empower others rather than chase individual glory scripture... +1.
💡 Why It Matters to Leaders
• Identity vs. Institution: Darren’s transformation into Buck mirrors the pressure many face to conform in rigid systems. For Army leaders, this raises questions about how we preserve authenticity while navigating institutional expectations.
• Mentorship as Resistance: Darren’s pivot from self-advancement to community uplift echoes your own commitment to mentoring Soldiers and NCOs. His grassroots movement to train young people of color in sales is a powerful metaphor for leader development in any field.
• Ethical Decision-Making: The novel doesn’t shy away from moral ambiguity. Darren’s choices—some noble, some questionable—invite reflection on how we lead under pressure and what sacrifices are worth making.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Black Buck is sharp, funny, and deeply uncomfortable in the best way. It challenges readers to confront the systems they operate in and ask: Am I climbing alone, or am I building ladders for others?
Brilliant Book!
Black Buck was truly amazing! I couldn’t put it down and spent many late nights up reading it. There were so many solid gold nuggets to take away as well. Enjoy it to the max!
Raw & uncut
Being a debut novel, Mateo did not disappoint! From the views of a black man’s world, tuh pure amazement!