Book excerpt: Critical Multicultural Social Work is the first book to explore multicultural practice from a critical perspective. The authors provide tools and techniques that enable readers to recognize their own perspectives and find meaning and importance in what they learn. The text examines oppression and diversity across multiple dimensions, including race and ethnicity, gender, sex and sexual orientation, and ability/disability. In addition to presenting the history of diversity as well as a basic framework for evaluating the issue, the authors guide practitioners through enlightened self-reflection to encourage awareness and sensitivity as they work with clients.