Customer Reviews

Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have three children ages 12, 17 and 20. I received this book for Christmas and am fascinated by it and will get copies for my children as well as for some of their friends. A person can choose to be nickle and dimed, or can choose to create a plan and stick to it. Scratch Beginnings is not the Idiot's Guide for Getting out of Homelessness, but it is proof that anybody with determination can do it.

Our church is in downtown Charlotte, NC and we do a lot of work with the homeless. During the winter, we host Room at the Inn twice weekly to handle the overflow from the Men's Shelter. I have spent several nights at church with the homeless group and have always been amazed the majority of the them have full time jobs. They just can't accumulate the nut to get the apartment deposit, utility hookups, etc. The others seem to fall into the groups described at the Charleston shelter: the addicted and the crazies.

There are no easy answers when it comes to homelessness. I have seen some great success stories and some horrible failures including a dead man on a doorstep. I want my children to read your book for two reasons: 1) to know that they have no excuses for not making it in this life as they have had every advantage and a safety net the size of the oceans, and 2) they need to understand the roots of homelessness and what it takes to rise above it. The closest thing I have read to this book is "Finding Fish," which is more a story of redemption and the importance of family.

I help teach the AP econ class at a local high school and am going to talk to the teachers about getting the book added to the curriculum. Many of these kids have no clue when it comes to budgeting, goal setting and delayed gratification. Scratch Beginnings is an important lesson. It should be required reading for every high school student.

Oh, and as far as the "questionable language of the streets" goes, my 12 year old daughter hears worse on the school bus each day. While possibly offensive, it is realistic.

I liked the premise of this book: Adam Shepard, a recent college graduate, who comes from a background of some privilege, decides to take only a sleeping bag and $25, chooses a city at random in the southeast of the United States, and sets off on a quest: he wants to see if it is possible to start with next to nothing and within a year achieve the goal of owning a working automobile, a furnished apartment, and at least $2500 in savings.

Some of his initial assumptions troubled me. He said the motivation of his social experiment was his rejection of Barbara Ehrenreich's arguments in "Nickel and Dimed" and "Bait and Switch," which he unfairly reduced and summarized as "working stiffs are doomed to live in the same disgraceful conditions forever," because "hard work and discipline" are "futile pursuits." Ehrenreich was critiquing the disadvantages the working poor and the middle class must suffer under crony corporate capitalism in the Bush years; to be fair to her, she had high admiration and regard for those who worked hard struggling to make ends meet, and she called for a change in how our economic system works. Part of Shepard's argument seems to be, "see, if I can do it, anybody else can do it too." At the beginning of the book, he sees his own perspective, advantages, and life experience as the norm. He is an educated white male athlete, strong, in his early 20s, who was raised in a nice suburb and is very healthy. He says he identifies with no political group, and believes therefore his approach and analysis will be free of bias.

There is a strong self-assuredness here that is both a folly and strength of youth. As his adventure unfolds, he will discover that he is naïve about some things, but wisely seeks to learn how to function in any new social group by observing, gaining acceptance from its members, and seeking their counsel. We journey along with him as he learns how to get by living in a homeless shelter and struggles through different temporary employments. Eventually he finds a steady position as a moving man, but he must learn to negotiate the rules and practices of that new profession. He also works through getting an apartment with a roommate from a different socio-economic background, an interesting character that has a different lifestyle and mindset.

In the end Shepard succeeds in reaching his financial goal but must stop the exercise early due to needs of others he recognizes that are greater than his own. This is a sign of some maturity and sensitivity he gains in this process. The book is most interesting as we watch him struggle to understand the ways others see the world and work through how and why he can learn from these encounters. Along with excellent budgeting strategies he does pick up some wisdom along the way, which he reviews in his conclusion.

The book was written before the great Financial Crisis that hit in George W. Bush's final months. During the tough times that lie ahead, Shepard's calls for frugality, community service, and a better support system for the working poor are timely, sound advice for both the U.S. government and its citizens. I do wish, though, that someone at his private college would have taught him to stop using the word I in the objective case, as in "she gave it to him and I" when the correct form is "me." (Someone should have alerted his editors at HarperCollins too.) The rest of his writing was good enough that this recurring error really stood out. Slang and dialect I don't mind, and one should use the accepted form in whatever social situation one is in, as Shepard learns to do while at the shelter or hanging with his new pals--well, the accepted form in the objective case in written English remains "me."

There are two ways to read "Scratch Beginnings": as a breezy first-person account of one man's brush with some of the more interesting characters of Charleston, SC, or as that... and more.

Reminiscent of the popular Seventies odyssey, "A Walk Across America", Adam Shepard's artful first work shows how people from all walks of life, when thrown together even briefly, can forever change one another for good or for bad. Injecting himself into a homeless shelter and working and living side by side (and sometimes too close for comfort) with some of his newfound neighbors, college-educated Shepard learns a thing or two about the 'street smarts' needed to survive and also emerge from among the working poor of our country. At the same time - without revealing his true identity - he is able to share some of his own wisdom and indefatigable optimism with the down-and-almost-out. In the end, Shepard soars, knowing that he has emerged from a self-imposed exile, stronger yet humbled, and in a way that must ironically be put to immediate use for very personal reasons.

"Scratch Beginnings" can be criticized on two counts: that as a well-educated white male his "experiment" was inherently flawed; and second, that the extremely salty language he employs in much of the book will alienate potential readers. While the author is not and never will be a single mom with two dependent kids, Shepard does allude to those in similar circumstances who have simply resolved to get on with life and better their place in society. He saw it, he heard it, and it validated his premise. As for cussing, it would be a shame if earthy language, already employed by most of Shepard's target readership - male, at-risk young adults - prevented homeless shelters, other nonprofits and educational facilities from making this book available to those who need it most.

"Scratch Beginnings" is alternatingly sad, amusing, pointed and thought provoking - all the makings of a book well worth reading.

Mr. Shepard, what's next?

'Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream' tells the story of a college graduate (my alma mater) who decided that he wanted to see if it was still possible to live the American Dream by starting with nothing.

When I say nothing, I mean NOTHING.

The books starts and continues on living homeless, the goal being that the author would have a place to live, $2500 saved, and a car by the end of the year. This book tells the story of how the author did in that search and what he discovered about himself.

Instead of reviewing the book directly, I am instead going to focus on many of the negative reviews targeted at this book such as:

- the premise is not sound because the author is a white college graduate
- the author used lots of vulgarity in the book
- the author could not truly understand what being homeless is like

While these 3 observations ARE true, this does not take anything away from the personal journey that author takes or what he experiences. If you take anything away from this book, it should give you a new respect in today's day and age what homeless people have to experience every day and discovering that while it IS possible to make it, it's a lot more difficult than it probably was in the past (this statement could be challenged as well).

If you want to read a reality journey of how one man survives a journey from nothing and see what he learned about himself and the world around him, this is a good story by a first-time author. Inspiration levels will vary depending on how much you focus on the negatives I have outlined here but just ask yourself, even if these are true, could YOU do voluntarily what he chose to do, college degree in hand??

Good read that sheds new light on the world that we know so little about of the poor and uneducated who are people just like you and me.

***** RECOMMENDED

Review of Adam Shepard's Scratch Beginnings

Like others, knowing little about homeless shelters, I have long had an abiding curiosity about this arena. After a very few pages of Adam Shepard's, Scratch Beginnings, I was hooked. Shepard has an uncanny ability to cast characters from unknown territory as memorable, unique, and vibrant personalities, everyday people like you and me who are down on their luck and have multiple choices to either climb or fall from the ladder that leads to personal fulfillment. In this story there is a rejuvenation of the American Dream, the realization that there are incredible opportunities for just about anyone lucky enough to live under the American canopy. The absence of ethnic overtones is not readily apparent, but is powerful, nonetheless. The author describes his experiences, not elevating his ego or revealing a diary. I absorbed the story through the cast of characters, all laced with keen insight, particularly in regard to the human psyche and Shepard's prevailing humor. This book is a most enjoyable read and within it, I met people I can remember as clearly as Kim, Bacchus, Scrooge, or even a Roman gladiator. I truly did not want this book to end. Adam Shepard is a remarkable young writer and I hope he will take up his pen and impart more knowledge, insight, and humor in the future.

If you pick this book for your book club, at some point, I expect the discussion will turn to "Could you have done what Adam Shepard did?"

At the age of 37, it's tough for me to imagine being in my early 20s, selecting a southern city, more or less at random, and stepping off the train with minimal supplies, $25, and no other clothes but the ones I've got on..... and yet perspective is sort of what the book orders up.

Often viewed as an "answer" to Ehrenreich's similar work (she deduced that the American Dream was more or less dead and that rising from poverty in America is impossible), Adam's story almost reads more "slice of life" than an essay on what can, or cannot, be accomplished.

For starters, the book is presented somewhat in a diary style. The entries are long. There is more detail in the first 10 days than the last 355. But Adam provides what was expected: a 20 something year old upper middle class look at the down and out in a metropolitan area.

Despite his efforts to limit his access to his advantages (which he really does very well) there's no turning off one's motivation, common sense, and work ethic. And I, for one, do not find this to be problematic for his study, at all. He is, who he is.

What I wanted more of, though, was a discussion by the author of his recognition of the advantages he brought to the table. Sure, he is only relying upon a "high school diploma" on paper, but he's got more than that in his head. He never stops and questions whether a decision he is making is one he would have likely made if he didn't have a college education, loving parents, supportive friends and family, and a sense of pride, dignity, and respect.

But this is not a fatal flaw. In fact, it might not be a flaw at all. Only a small void in an otherwise engaging narrative about his experience.

For the parents who think the book is a must read for your children - you may be correct - but don't miss the chance to have a good discussion about where your son or daughter is in this world with your assistance. Self made is a righteous acclaim, but not always entirely true.

For those that dismiss Adam's work as unrealistic or ignorant of other realities (Adam has no addiction issues, for one... no criminal history, etc) don't be so short sighted as to miss a rather humbling message of the work. He thought it would be easier. He was wrong. But he learned from it. And he learned from people who had much, much more to overcome than he. But in the end.... he learned.

And then, ask yourself, could you have done what Adam did?

PS: I was struck by the services available to Adam Shepard, and the other homeless in Charleston, South Carolina. This is not to say that we do enough (or not). But the access to free clothes, food, job search counseling, sleeping arrangements, facilities, self improvement programs, etc. is impressive. What I found interesting was that the private assitance - Goodwill, faith based programs, etc. were as effective if not more so than the government provided services. This is not to say that the government services were a waste or ineffective by any stretch. But there is a humanity revealed within the pages of this book that comes from individuals who care for one another. And Adam learned alot about that, too.

Mr. Shepard's abandonment of his project early utterly disproves his thesis that the poor simply need to work harder and think positive. His family illness that caused him to leave early so as to provide "support" would have been impossible had he continued to work at a minimum wage position. Despite seeing the fact that his 5 grand of savings would not have amounted to squat against the massive amount of debt medical procedures would have put them in, he still believes his premise. He is either a hypocrite or extremely dumb.

I'd like to compare Shepard's poverty tourism to another, much better book, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Shepard starts off with the same premise of Jurgis Rudkus, both able-bodied and fresh-faced, believing the poor are only that way because of a character flaw. Rudkus and Shepard both believe that with enough hard work and positive thinking, the world will be yours! (Read one of Shepard's interviews where he points out the poor need to ask themselves "Am I going to continue to go out to eat and put rims on my Cadillac? Or am I going to make some things happen in my life...?"). In both stories disaster inevitably occurs, Rudkus, being an immigrant in a strange land, falls prey to conmen and working the slaughterhouses maims and kills many of his family, and Shepard's family has an unspecified "major illness."

Unfortunately for Rudkus, he can't simply call mommy and go back to the comforts of white middle-class America like Shepard. Rudkus realizes that his suffering was not due to any personal failing but the nature of capitalist business to exploit the masses at every opportunity. Shepard has no such insights and continues to spout neo-liberal platitudes despite them being disproved by his experience.

Also, realize that Shepard defrauded the state of South Carolina's already limited social services budget to fail at proving his point.

Shepherd's study is inherently flawed. He has too many advantages to really test whether or not one can come up from the bottom social rung to make it in America.

Still, the book makes for interesting reading. Shepherd takes us to places we might not have been, and introduces to characters, the lifestyles of which we might not otherwise know much about.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" (also now an excellent movie on DVD) is an account that better addresses the question Shepherd poses, compared to his own study, although the Happiness story occurred earlier in time.
In "The Pursuit of Happyness", the real life protagonist of the story really began in a down-and-out fashion, not in the artificially down-and-out fashion which Shepherd begins.

While Shepherd has his difficulties, they don't remotely compare to those of Gardner (author of "The Pursuit of Happiness"). Gardner had to be exceptional in every way to pull himself out of poverty, whereas Shepherd merely had to work hard, influence others to like him, and exhibit common sense.

I'm giving the book four stars instead of three because it is an enjoyable read, and unique in its own right. I do not, however, think it effectively debunks the claims of Barbara Ehrenreich, author of "Nickel and Dimed".

I was intrigued when I came across this book and decided that I wanted to get to know Adam through his book. What a ride it turned out to be. Adam is very poignant, passionate, and particualry very courageous. He starts his journey by being dropped off at the train station in his home state of North Carolina and is taken to Charleston, South Carolina. He has his tarp, an empty gym bag, $25 dollars, and the clothes on his back. His goal over the next 365 days is to find a job, an apartment, accumulate $2500, and get a working automobile. In the end he accomplishes all of them through frugalness and hard work. He is very humble and finds his way to a men's shelter called Crisis Ministries. I read this book in three days and at times found myself crying through some chapters while laughing through others. Please buy this book and read how Adam managed to find the American dream starting with almost nothing. I rate this book at 5 stars and I think you will too.

All he succeeds in proving is that life is easier for a young, single male with no dependents who is safe sleeping under a tarp. Women can't do this. Duh. And, jobs for able-bodied young uneducated men tend to pay better than the same level of job for women. He could move furniture. A woman his age could not. Who is supposed to work the gazillion underpaid jobs at Walmarts, supermarkets, etc.? Does he suggest these jobs go unfilled? What will the workers live on while they are trying to force the salaries up? Also, could he please pay back the social services money he defrauded the state into spending on him?

As other reviewers have pointed out, if he had had to deal with a medical emergency, he would not have been able to, even the family medical emergency would have ruined him. What is a middle aged person, or an elderly one, newly poor, to do? What is a woman with three children whose husband deserts them to do? All this author is doing is playing peasant and making people who lack compassion feel better about their selfishness. No matter how he tries to emulate the conditions of poverty, he cannot. He cannot look malnourished, with bad skin or missing teeth he can't afford to replace. He looks middle class and employers like and trust him. He knows how to talk to middle class employers. People who grow up in abject poverty often do not realize the most basic things, that they must be on time, friendly but formal on job interviews, that they must dress appropriately and what that is. They often cannot spell or speak properly. Like many conservatives, this author takes much too much for granted, assuming that he was born speaking well, with good hygiene and health. No, he was raised to those things, and that makes him a child of privilege even if he is not wealthy.