Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard
November 6th, 2008Title: Scratch Beginnings
Author: Adam Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins (2008)
I heard about this book on the personal finance blog Get Rich Slowly, which is an awesome blog that you should check out immediately after reading this review! The author, Adam Shepard, stated in an interview that he read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich and was offended by her methodology and conclusions. I felt the same way, though I did think the book was entertaining to read. It also never crossed my mind to go on a journey challenging her thesis. We both felt that Ehrenreich did not really make an honest attempt at getting by. She went into this extremely biased..thinking that there was no way she could do it…and she didn’t. Shepard didn’t like her conclusions and decided that it could be done…if you are willing to sacrifice and work at it. And that he did.
Shepard got off a train in Charleston, SC with a goal to show that it is possible to find the American Dream with nothing but the clothes on his back. His goal, by the end of 1 year, was to have $2500 in savings, a car & a place to live. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, unless you are starting with no car, no place to live in a city you are unfamiliar with…and only $25. Naturally his first stop was a homeless shelter.
He decided pretty early on that a homeless shelter was going to be the best place for him. While the sleeping arrangements and bathroom cleanliness left a lot to be desired…the price was right. He stayed in the shelter for the first 70 days of his journey to save up money. This is in stark contrast to Ehrenreich, who stayed in a pay by the week motel…not a good way to save money. After securing sleeping arrangements and a couple of meals a day at the shelter, he set out to find a job. The shelter arranged with a local temp company to farm out work on a daily basis. It wasn’t very good money…but at least it was work. He went out everyday to build up some cash that he would need to buy basic life items. Still, Shepard knew he had to find steady work. After weeks of hitting the pavement to apply for jobs, he still had not heard back from any of the places he went to. That’s when he talked to another man at the shelter, Phil Coleman. Coleman told him that he basically had to MAKE someone hire him, although it much more colorful language! So Shepard did…and that’s how he became a professional mover. He then moved up in his company, bought a used beat up truck and moved into an apartment with a roommate…completing his goal and proving that it certainly can be done (by the way – I just summarized a large section of the book in that sentence, which probably isn’t fair. Sorry.)
This book is fantastically written and inspiring. Shepard does a wonderful job of telling the stories that took place during his year in Charleston. The fact that all it takes is a strong work ethic to find the American Dream is awesome. Shepard does acknowledge that he did not have to care for children or any other family, which certainly made it easier to do what he needed to do. But I think the point of the book is still valid. If you want to make it…you have to work for it. If you wait around and complain about how difficult it is to make it…you probably won’t. A positive attitude can go a long way towards success.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone, especially if you have already read Nickel & Dimed. You won’t be disappointed.
Rating: 5 out of 5
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November 6th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Thanks for the review! I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
This sounds great! Thanks for the review, because I hadn’t heard of this book. Unlike the over-hyped Nickled and Dimed!
I always find good recommendations when I pop in here. Thanks!
November 7th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
this looks interesting. With the economy the way it is, i bet we can all pick up a hint or two.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Interesting contrast to Nickeled and Dimed (which I did read). I’ll have to see if it changes my opinion of N&D.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Your review intrigued me so much, I got my own copy. My review is up now on my blog. Thanks for the tip!
April 5th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Some things to consider:
Ehrenreich was about 60 when she worked on Nickel and Dimed; Shepard was in his mid-20s.
Ehrenreich is a woman, Shepard is a man. How many middle-aged women do you see working as furniture movers?
Women in general have good reason to be concerned about finding a safe place to stay. And if the woman has kids, that need is increased. Would you be willing to live in a homeless shelter with your kids? I realize neither Ehrenreich nor Shepard had kids, but Ehrenreich’s point was to see if a woman coming off welfare could find a job to sustain her. Ehrenreich couldn’t and she didn’t even have any kids to worry about! I feel that this “rebuttal” by Shepard wasn’t fair. A young, healthy male can always find work faster than a middle-aged woman. And they will probably find better-paying work. I am making more per hour at a full-time job than I ever have. However, I am in a traditionally male-dominated profession (delivery/truck driving). It would have been more fair if Shepard was a middle-aged woman coming off welfare, but I doubt if we’ll see anybody trying to do that and write about it.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Did either of these authors address the pressing need for health care? I read that Shepard stopped everything when he learned of an illness in his family and I wonder if Shepard had fallen ill or had an accident during that year, if he would have fallen into bankruptcy or massive debt. Health problems are the number one cause of bankruptcy in this country.
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
That is a good point to bring up. In Shepard’s case he was nearing the end of his 1 year experiment when there were some family medical troubles at home. He decided that he had made his point and it wasn’t worth not being at home with his family.
The approach that Shepard certainly has it’s problems…but I like the optimism he had, especially compared to Nickled & Dimed.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:11 am
How easy do you think it is to have optimism, when you’ve struggled and struggled and struggled? Both Shepard and Ehrereich knew they could go back at any time, which presents a problem. Knowing you can leave a bad situation any time you want means you can put up with just enough crap until you can’t take it anymore.
And yes, what about health care, what about being a woman and trying to find accomodation? Men just have no clue what it’s like to be a woman and wanting a safe place to sleep, something Ehrehreich explained in her book. A 60-year-old middle class journalist and a 20-something-year-old upper middle class guy are two very different people. It IS possible to rise up, but it gets harder if you have health problems, kids, massive debt due to either medical bills or buying a car or house. I’m sure all homeless shelters are family-friendly and offer second and third helpings to everyone. Not to mention health care and job placement. Scratch Beginnings pissed me off. And it really wasn’t well written–there were a few sentences that I have to read multiple times that still didn’t make sense. Thankfully, a lot of people think this experiment is flawed (it is) and that Shepard is a bit of a jerk (I saw a YouTube video and his attitude was a huge turn off.)
Ehrenreich moved around to different parts of the country to illustrate how difficult it is to find inexpensive, safe housing. Shepard purposely kept his experiment in the south so he could be closer to his family (he knew a family member had health problems, and when they got worse, he called it quits and went home.) How manh of us would like to do that, but can’t?