“Empathy is an illusion at best, or simply—as is said in moments of deep reflection—bullshit!” writes Jade E. Davis in this critical look at the false promises of empathy culture. Drawing from histories of human zoos in the nineteenth century, Davis shows how the empathetic gaze works not to undermine inequality but to reinforce it with the feelings of the already powerful. She is especially critical of efforts to mediate empathy through technology, which obscure the actual people who are the subjects of empathy behind representations and abstractions. Instead of empathy, Davis proposes respect and compassion as better tools for both engaging with others and caring for ourselves. A radical, discomfiting (in all the best ways), and brilliant book.