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Theodore Dalrymple

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Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass Paperback – March 8, 2003

by Theodore Dalrymple (Author)

4.6 1,896 ratings

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Here is a searing account-probably the best yet published-of life in the underclass and why it persists as it does. Theodore Dalrymple, a British psychiatrist who treats the poor in a slum hospital and a prison in England, has seemingly seen it all. Yet in listening to and observing his patients, he is continually astonished by the latest twist of depravity that exceeds even his own considerable experience. Dalrymple's key insight in Life at the Bottom is that long-term poverty is caused not by economics but by a dysfunctional set of values, one that is continually reinforced by an elite culture searching for victims. This culture persuades those at the bottom that they have no responsibility for their actions and are not the molders of their own lives. Drawn from the pages of the cutting-edge political and cultural quarterly City Journal, Dalrymple's book draws upon scores of eye-opening, true-life vignettes that are by turns hilariously funny, chillingly horrifying, and all too revealing-sometimes all at once. And Dalrymple writes in prose that transcends journalism and achieves the quality of literature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Truthful―therefore morally courageous and intellectually rigorous. -- Norman Podhoretz

Dalrymple's vivid writing and often heartbreaking stories rise above his deeply felt social analysis. ― Publishers Weekly

Brilliant social analysis...a master chronicle of life at the bottom. -- Hilton Kramer

Lucid, unsentimental, and profoundly honest...Dalrymple is one of the great essayists of our age. -- Denis Dutton, Editor, Arts & Letters Daily

This devastating account and analysis of underclass life―and the elite ideas which support it―is a classic for our times. -- Thomas Sowell, Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University

It is a truism that ideas have consequences, but a truism is rarely illustrated as implacably as in this book. -- George F. Will, Washington Post

Theodore Dalrymple is the best doctor-writer since William Carlos Williams. -- Peggy Noonan

Mr. Daniels's best essays cast a spell almost from the opening line. ― New York Sun

A landmark experience is reading Life at the Bottom… ― Detroit Free Press

Once in a long while a writer comes along with a vision so powerful that it shakes you. Theodore Dalrymple is that kind of writer. -- Bruce Ramsey ― Liberty Press

About the Author

Theodore Dalrymple is a physician and psychiatrist who practices in England. He writes a column for the London Spectator, contributes frequently to the Daily Telegraph, and is a contributing editor of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. His other books include Our Culture, What's Left of It, Mass Listeria, and So Little Done. He lives in Birmingham, England.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1566635055
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ivan R. Dee (March 8, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 284 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781566635059
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1566635059
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.82 x 0.73 x 8.88 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #20,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Government Social Policy
- #11 in European Politics Books
- #50 in Discrimination & Racism

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4.6 1,896 ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and thought-provoking. They describe it as an interesting read for those interested in reality. The writing quality is praised as excellent, eloquent, and gifted. Readers appreciate the refreshing humor and ironic comments made by the people being described. The style is described as well-presented and clear-eyed. However, opinions differ on the depressing content - some find it sad and funny while others consider it depressing.

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Insight Readability Writing quality Humor Style Depressing content Story quality

137 customers mention "Insight"131 positive6 negative

Customers find the book insightful and eye-opening. They appreciate the author's thoughtful essays based on his experiences. The subtexts are engaging, honest, and relevant. Readers value human potential and individual human beings.

"...He passionately values human potential and individual human beings, as is evidenced in his conversations with his patients...." Read more

"In this fascinating collection of essays, Dr. Dalrymple proposes a compelling thesis...." Read more

""Life At the Bottom" is a series of thoughtful essays based upon the experiences of a psychiatrist who works in a hospital serving the British "..." Read more

"The author is uniquely qualified to write about the underclass by virtue of having worked closely with them his entire professional life, both in..." Read more

117 customers mention "Readability"117 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They describe it as a great read for those interested in reality. The writing style is clear and enjoyable.

"...Practically every sentence in this book is a literary masterpiece, which makes his writings a joy to read...." Read more

"...His book is still very much worth reading though because of the numerous, compelling anecdotes he provides." Read more

"...An enlightening book, an interesting read, and especially well-written. Dalrymple's pithy observations leave the reader thinking, "Of course!..." Read more

"...when both versions did agree because combining the two improves my reading enjoyment...." Read more

103 customers mention "Writing quality"97 positive6 negative

Customers find the book's writing quality excellent. They say the author does a great job of explaining how current policies have increased crime and pain. The presentation is interesting with many well-told stories and illustrations. The author skillfully mixes case studies with general observations and provides a stunning book about the everyday lives of the British poor class.

"...Dalrymple is an EXCELLENT word-smith. His writing is a joy to read, filled with both wisdom and humor. Buy this book. Still not sure? BUY THIS BOOK!!" Read more

"...The arguments in these essays are persuasive and push the reader to examine the underlying modern ideologies that have created and sustain a well..." Read more

"...Beautifully and elegantly written, with elements of a very refined and almost imperceptible British humor, this book will forever change the way you..." Read more

"...An enlightening book, an interesting read, and especially well-written. Dalrymple's pithy observations leave the reader thinking, "Of course!..." Read more

17 customers mention "Humor"14 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it refreshing, sardonic, and ironic. The book offers a humorous look at society at the bottom and how it affects the middle and top. Readers appreciate the witty and exacting prose style.

"...His writing is a joy to read, filled with both wisdom and humor. Buy this book. Still not sure? BUY THIS BOOK!!" Read more

"...elegantly written, with elements of a very refined and almost imperceptible British humor, this book will forever change the way you think about..." Read more

"Dalrymple's sardonic wit, along with his persistent and condescending mockery of the UK's bureaucratic penchant for trying to do the right thing,..." Read more

"Masterful style and wit combined with a genuine level of compassion and uncompromising evaluation of life's choices and their consequences...." Read more

12 customers mention "Style"10 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the book's style. They find it well-presented and scholarly, with illustrations. The book provides a good picture of some of the problems we have and how we got there.

"...I have never read a better indictment of contemporary politics. Beautifully and elegantly written, with elements of a very refined and almost..." Read more

"...The author gives lots of illustrations and displays a keen, clear-eyed, and honest understanding of the faulty thinking and rationalizations behind..." Read more

"An excellent and eye opening look into the personal mentalities, choices and patterns of behavior that serve to perpetuate the misery of the..." Read more

"A brilliant look at a problem that goes all the way back to Toqueville: how do governments, often with the best intentions, create a situation..." Read more

36 customers mention "Depressing content"13 positive23 negative

Customers find the book's content depressing and humorous at times. They appreciate the author's wit and genuine compassion. However, others find the subject matter grim and the writing entertaining.

"...This is not an easy or comfortable book for thinking persons of either political persuasion, and that is why it is important...." Read more

"...I'm re-reading it again as a Kindle eBook. It was a truly sad set of articles on those unfortunates who through cruel circumstance, poor self..." Read more

"...It is a life stymied of meaning. ‘On the whole,’ said one Filipino doctor to me, ‘life is preferable in the slums of Manila.’..." Read more

"...Even if you enjoy it, the book is somewhat depressing and you'll ask yourself what the point his story is...." Read more

29 customers mention "Story quality"19 positive10 negative

Customers find the story compelling with first-hand accounts of people struggling against the welfare state. They appreciate the chapter on domestic violence. However, some readers feel the anecdotes sound far-fetched or depressing at times.

"...Although the story is emotionally compelling, it doesn't present substantive points or a robust academic basis to support his argument that Western..." Read more

"...He addresses tattoos, violence, living in fear, drug and alcohol addictions, and the mentality of living for the moment...." Read more

"...Sadly, this is only one of many horrifying and depressing incidents recounted in Life at the Bottom: The Worldview that Makes the Underclass by..." Read more

"...A large part of the book is the great number of anecdotes and examples he gives of the poor, drug-addicts, those hospitalized for attempted suicide,..." Read more

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Jill Ireland
Required reading for serious thinkers
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2011
Verified Purchase
I have seen the word "misanthrope" applied to Theodore Dalrymple. I cannot think of a more incorrect appellation. However, it is understandable, as Dalrymple belongs to a species which is nearly extinct at both extremes of "the partisan divide": he is a humanist. Moreover, he is a conservative humanist. That this phrase sounds almost nonsensical in the current American context shows exactly how applicable his observations are to the U.S. as well as the U.K., from whence he reports.

This is not an easy or comfortable book for thinking persons of either political persuasion, and that is why it is important. It is a dark book, not because Dalrymple dislikes his fellow human beings, but because he despairs for them. He passionately values human potential and individual human beings, as is evidenced in his conversations with his patients. He savages fashionable leftist ideas which have laid waste to both.

Dalrymple amply covers the damaging dissemination of these from academia to well-intentioned workaday liberals - I'll leave that to him. But less widespread in Britain is the same phenomenon in conservative circles, so widespread in America right now. I have long thought it ironic that the dumbed-down conservatism peddled by Fox News and the like, which leads viewers to regard any source of evidence conflicting with their beliefs as "biased," is the logical extension of Marxist ideas of education which Dalrymple denounces so eloquently. In academic circles, particularly in the area of education, "critical thinking" ceased to be defined as the application of logic, the search for evidence, and the elimination of fallacies. It was no longer applied to Plato or algebra. Instead, "critical theorists" in academia blathered about the construction of our reality through language and the impossibility of objectivity - those who claim to speak with authority about anything are just speaking from and for "hegemony" and disregarding alternate perspectives. (Sometimes? Yes. Always? No.) They argued, along lines Dalrymple pithily derides, for the equal importance of Disney and Descartes as objects of study. They should not be surprised or appalled when their devaluation of value, and elimination of the notion of truth, are taken literally and used by others.

Much as I appreciate the book, I cannot agree with Dalrymple's implication, in one essay, that our only alternatives are the horrid reality he documents or "the slums of Manila." Since thinking people *will* continue to generate thoughts, and really must do so usefully, one hopes the application of genuine humanism and critical thinking worthy of the name might produce a few more alternatives.

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R. Shipp
Why do the "under privileged" stay poor?
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2024
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Five stars to "Life at the Bottom" writer Dalrymple. If I could give six, I would. Having grown up as a child in the underclass, and successfully escaped, this is the only book I have ever read that accurately described the mind set, the habits, and the desires that keep "the underprivileged" trapped in poverty and crime. The primary cause is NOT lack of money, lack of shelter, or lack of services. Simply put, for the great majority of those who fail to become productive and self sustaining, the cause is a conscious (even if ignorant) choice to live a life of crime, dissolution, sexual excess, and refusal to accept the consequences of one's own actions. In my personal lived experience, not only is this true of the British underclass, it is true regardless of race, sex, national origin, or immediate ancestry. The cause lies in human psychology and the ease with which victimhood has become the pathway to free food, housing, and moderate income.

The icing on the cake? Dalrymple is an EXCELLENT word-smith. His writing is a joy to read, filled with both wisdom and humor. Buy this book. Still not sure? BUY THIS BOOK!!

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C.D.
From An Intellectual Standpoint, the Last Section Saves the Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2010
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Before saying anything else, it is important to make one categorical assertion: Dr. Dalrymple knows how to turn a phrase. Unlike so many writers who churn out semi-literate books, Dalrymple has a gift for writing and expressing ideas. Practically every sentence in this book is a literary masterpiece, which makes his writings a joy to read. However, putting aside sentiments for his writing ability, I think the book is severely weakened by Dalrymple's penchant for anecdotes over dialectical argumentation.

While anecdotes are important in conveying Dalrymple's message - especially given his impressive medical experience in dealing with disadvantaged people - I think that there could have been a lot more supportive argumentation that would aid in both solidifying his points and shattering the canards of the other side. Dalrymple's arguments tend to take the format of using one or two stories from his practical experience that describe a particular phenomenon before closing out the essay on why, given the veracity of these tales, his opinion is correct. Of course these arguments may be superficially compelling to the choir being preached to (of which I am a member of), but they are not going to be extremely effective at garnering intellectual converts.

For example, in "Reader, She Married Him--Alas," Dalrymple makes the argument that it is patently absurd to argue that certain societies are not morally superior to others, and that it is equally as absurd to argue that one can have a society that is not based on cultural or philosophical presuppositions--both of which I wholeheartedly agree with. However, in order to further this argument, he uses a story of an Indian girl who is under an oppressive household that doesn't believe in Western liberal democracy. Although the story is emotionally compelling, it doesn't present substantive points or a robust academic basis to support his argument that Western liberal democracy is superior to oppressive regimes.

Also, through the "Grim Reality" section, the stories began getting a little repetitive. It seemed as though every chapter had a story that featured someone who was "not deficient in intelligence, but undereducated," which got slightly tedious to read about.

Undoubtedly, the strongest section of the book was the last section called "The Grimmers," which focused on criminal justice. For me, this is where Dr. Dalrymple's writing and analysis shines. Jettisoning the anecdotal formula used for the previous essays, Dr. Dalrymple takes the gloves off and really puts massive dents in liberal criminology with solid arguments and reason. His commentary on the normalization of crime by criminologists, the myth of criminal victimization by the criminal justice system, and idiocy of crime being quasi-political protests, was exceptional.

"Life at the Bottom" is an interesting read. I'm sure that those who prefer stories and a literature feel to non-fiction text would think this book is remarkable, while those who are looking for meaty argumentation will enjoy it but will think it leaves a little to be desired. When Dalrymple moves away from arguing with anecdotes, you can see how much of a heavyweight he is as a writer and political mind. Dr. Dalrymple has the potential to be on a par with Dr. Thomas Sowell, but I just wish he'd do away with the anecdotes, which, while well written, erroneously present him to be a lightweight cultural critic.

But for the last section on criminology, I probably would have given this book a two or three-star rating. The last section makes this book compulsory reading, in my humble opinion.

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NF
Good Read
Reviewed in Canada on October 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
An important look at " life at the bottom" , it's manifestations and causes. Well written by a physician with a real world view of those at the margins of society. We should balso commend this physician's choice to work with these populations. Honorable. Not easy.

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Gui
Practitioners perception
Reviewed in Brazil on May 6, 2024
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Theory vs. practice summed up on the beautifully written boon of Dr. A lot of people have a lot of theories but when lack of responsibility ensues, there are consequences

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brian doyle
Different perspectives
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2024
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Although I did not agree with some of the key points in this book. It was written well and gave me a different perspective. Some of the points were well made and grounded in experience as opposed to data or theory. If you are open-minded this is a must read.

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Ax
Excellent.
Reviewed in France on April 8, 2024
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Brilliant author

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Kindle-Kunde
Beklemmendes Portrait der Brittischen Unterschicht
Reviewed in Germany on January 10, 2022
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Habe das Buch u. A. erworben um mein Englisch aufzupolieren. Autor beschreibt in klaren Wkorten
die Zustände in der britischen Unterschicht und benennt Gründe für die Entweicklung. Ähnliches wird auch unseren Großstädten blühen
Darüberhinaus gibt Dalrymple Einblicke in die Denkweise dr brittischen Eliten. Hier finden sich erstaunliche Paralelen zu unsere der unsere Akademischen und parlamentarischen Oberschicht.

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