Books like The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life

I read the book fearful that it was politically incorrect to entertain alternative viewpoints regarding intellectual equality. I finished the book remaining skeptical of some of the more controversial conclusions about distribution of IQ among different ethnicities. Evidently, there are many skeptics that have raised some legitimate questions about the authors' research. That said, The Bell Curve has persuaded me that heredity has at least some role in intelligence and that IQ is not just a result of environment. Additionally, I now believe that IQ stratifies society more than any other factor. These two claims raise some important questions about the role of government in leveling the intellectual and economic playing field if genetics is a partial cause to one's disadvantage. If disadvantage is no longer strictly environmental it raises a lot of questions about policies that focus on "equality" when nature has caused part of this problem not just "nurture". I am worried that too many people are throwing this book out because its criticized for being "racist". When are people going to stop being xenophobes and at least entertain less conventional ideas (even if they are unpopular)? As soon as an author takes a position that doesn't conform with politically correct positions the "hate" police defame them. I am skeptical of the ethnic differences in IQ that are published in the book, however, if I were skeptical of the East Asians having higher IQ's than Caucasions, then, I would be criticized. It seems as if its only politically correct to be a skeptic when whites like the Jews or Caucasions score higher on IQ test than blacks. There is something seriously wrong with intellectual honesty when it boils down to that.