Ratings
Rated: 4 times. Average rating 5
Description
Is the American Dream still alive or has it, in fact, been drowned out by a clashing of the classes? Is the upper class destined to rule forever while the lower classes are forced to live in the same cyclical misery?With these questions on his mind, Adam Shepard hopped on a train destined for Charleston, South Carolina. Carrying only a sleeping bag, the clothes on his back, and $25 cash, he set out with the goal of working his way out of the realities of homelessness and into a life that would offer him the opportunity for success. Living among the poverty stricken for a year, Shepard gained intriguing insight into the present state of the American Dream.Scratch Beginnings is Shepard's response to the now-famous books Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch, where Barbara Ehrenreich has written on the hopeless pursuit of the American Dream. Scratch Beginnings is Shepard?s version of what it is like for so many people on the lower end of the spectrum, the crappy end of the stick. In his poignant account, Shepard goes on a search for the vitality of the American Dream, and, in turn, discovers so much more.Scratch Beginnings is unquestionably one of the most engaging works of the social science genre. No matter your reading interest, Shepard's facile writing style is sure to keep you turning the pages.
Books by Adam Shepard:
- One Year Lived (2013)
- Scratch Beginnings (2007)
