Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream
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Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥ |
Reads like a blog
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Although I enjoyed some parts of this book, it read too much like a blog on MySpace, to really hold my interest. The premise of the book is compelling, that an average joe, through hard work and careful scrimping, could rise from homelessness to have an apartment, a car, and a few thousand in the bank, in 6 months' time.
But the premise is somewhat flawed. That a young, white, male, healthy, middle class, college educated boy from a healthy and stable family could do this, should surprise no one. Throw in race, a tumultuous background, being female, a kid, a physical or mental disability, bad luck, or any number of other hurdles, and it would make a much more interesting story. (For a more compelling example, see Clarence Thomas' autobiography).
The most disappointing part of the book, however, is that the second half tends to drone on about the "zen" of being a furniture mover. I realize that the author is trying to illustrate that rewards can be found in even the most mundane occupations, but half a book was a bit much.
Finally, the fractured preachiness at the end of the book seemed amateurish, and in need of an editor. It rambled on from platitude to platitude, and you were never quite sure what the point was.
The premise is great; the ideas were promising but somewhat naive; the execution seems amateurish and unpolished. |
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Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream Books In Print, Audio Books.