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

'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

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.

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.

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?

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.