By Mel Harkrader Pine

I made a solo 1,500-mile driving round trip recently, which gave me the opportunity to catch up to some books I had been wanting to read, or in this case listen to. I was surprised, and enlightened, by two that incongruously fit together.

Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment was at the top of my list. It’s by Robert Wright, a perceptive writer on science, ethics and evolutionary psychology.  When I finished that, I still had some 500 miles to go, so I also completed the highly recommended Shame: How America’s Past Sins Have Polarized Our Country, by Shelby Steele, an author and columnist who focuses on race relations.

Steele is a black conservative. Wright doesn’t identify himself politically, but I infer from his writing that he’s a white liberal. Two writers — different races, political orientations…