On the Shelf
By Ben Philippe
Harper: 320 pages, $27
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Ben Philippe pitched “Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend” to publishers as a modern instruction manual on race, with subjects like “Things You Should Probably Not Say to Your Black Friend” and “Can I Touch Your Hair?” The format has been quite successful, especially in the last year, but Philippe offered a distinctive approach and a soft, funny touch, including such white-people touchstones as “Gilmore Girls” and “Game of Thrones.”