Customer Reviews

My Life on the Street

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3 star:		(1)
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This book gave me a real insight into the world of the homeless and dramatically altered my perspective on exactly who these people are and how they have arrived at their situation. Before reading this book, I assumed that 99% of all homeless people were either drug addicts, alcoholics, or people with mental problems. Several ideas here really touched home. Living in DC for most of my life, I have been constantly surrounded by homeless people, and have noticed that each individual seems to come and go at an extraordinarily rapid rate. Joe Homeless explained that this is because most are dead within one to two years.

A few questions remain unanswered by the author, however, that continue to burn in my mind. Why do homeless people not on drugs and who are mentally stable remain in the cities. It seems that it would be easy to find work in a McDonalds or related place if given one new pair of clothes and a brief opportunity to clean themselves. Also, the author continually stated that he only needed a place to get himself together for a few days before he could get back on his feet again. Yet, when he finally does recieve a welfare check and this opportunity, he does not find a job. Why not? It seems that there are plenty of temporary or full time positions for untrained workers. Perhaps this did not apply in the 1970s. I hope that the author has the opportunity to read this response and has the opportunity to reply. I really don't expect that many other people have read this socially important work.

I found this book fascinating to read. I am a former homeless person, myself having spent two years on the streets.

After reading the book,which I found quite interesting,I was left wondering how "Mr. Homeless" stayed homeless for so long. He seemed determined to stay in NYC for some reason. I myself have been homeless for short periods. I follow the old adage that for the most part says "IF you are moose hunting go where the moose are". If you are unemployed and homeless go where the jobs are. In other words maybe its time to get the hell out of Dodge! He had it bad no doubt, I just cannot understand WHY he stayed.