Litsy

Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis | Robert D. Putnam

so-so

The information was important; the delivery was a little drier and more academic than I was expecting.

22/62
This made for another bingo on my January #BookspinBingo board as a work to fill it in @TheAromaofBooks

#MountTBR #ReadAway2024 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 3w

DieAReader 🥳Great! 3w

29 likes2 comments

TheBookgeekFrau

Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis | Robert D. Putnam

"My hometown was, in the 1950s, a passable embodiment of the American Dream, a place that offered decent opportunity for all the kids in town, whatever their background."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

29 likes

TheBookgeekFrau

Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis | Robert D. Putnam

Starting this one tonight in the hopes of getting 1 bingo for March as I continue toward a full card on my January #BookspinBingo

34 likes1 stack add

AlizaApp

Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond

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A look at the systemic ways that America and American institutions have not just failed poor people, but created the conditions to sustain their poverty.

28 likes1 stack add

steph_phanie

Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond

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Oh, Litsy, life's been busy. I'm trying to get back into the rhythm of reading and reviewing. And trying not to be hard on myself for reading significantly less at the start of this year. :/
~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ for Poverty, by America. I wish I had read a physical copy instead of the audiobook, but the narrator was excellent. Highly recommend reading this to gain some perspective on poverty and the systems that both create and maintain it here in the US.

11 likes

AnneCecilie

Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond

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This book was an eye opener for me. What sweeps across the ocean to me is expensive food stamps, Medicaid and public housing is. This is the first book that lets me know that the middle and upper classes in the US is also getting money from the government in the form of tax reduction on loans, subsidized interest rents on college saving founds and subsidized health insurance from their employers.

AnneCecilie He also looks at the different kinds of explosions that keep people poor, like poor banking systems, high rents and low wages. 2mo

squirrelbrain I have a physical (signed) copy of this on my TBR shelf - of course it will take a back seat now, with all of the Women‘s Prize books. 2mo

AnneCecilie @squirrelbrain I recommend this after the NF from the Women‘s Prize are read 2mo

64 likes3 comments

AnneCecilie

Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond

WOW 😯

I‘m not American, so I‘m getting a lot of hard facts I didn‘t know from this book

AnnCrystal It's fun to read more than one book (by difficult authors) on the same subject, then cross reference. It can get tedious sometimes, but fun nonetheless. 3mo

36 likes1 comment

AnneCecilie

Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond

WHAT!?!?

I had no idea

AnnR The general statements this author made is misleading. For cash payment programs to the poor, the time limit varies state to state. There are other assistance programs with no specific time limit such as food stamps. (The name of that program has changed). Also not everyone with a 30 year mortgage can claim an interest deduction; that is partially based on how much interest the homeowner owes. There is some truth here but it's biased. 3mo

AnnR I think the author could make a good argument, while providing more specific facts, it just wouldn't be quite as compelling. Ultimately, I'm not disagreeing with him, I just prefer authors provide all the facts backed up with citations, not generalizations used to support an argument.

Sorry, I just had to comment. Especially if you don't reside in the US, our welfare system and tax codes can be really confusing. Well, it's confusing period. 3mo

Ruthiella @AnnR Yes, the vocabulary is key. I would never consider a tax write off of interest from a home loan as a “government subsidy”. There so much more involved. 3mo

Aimeesue @AnnR The Federal limit for direct cash payment to families - one of the only forms of income based assistance that can be used to pay rent directly - is indeed 60 months. Sure, you can get SNAP and Medicaid for much longer, but TANF is the only direct cash benefit. Here he‘s just comparing the government‘s cost of two housing programs and who benefits. Desmond footnotes this section and cites several sources. 3mo

29 likes4 comments

AnneCecilie

Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond

WHAT???? I had no idea? Does every country in the world is or just the US?

Vansa Actually in 90% of the countries in the world, statistics are an absolute farce. Obviously it's going to be much worse in countries that are much less democratic than the US! 3mo

Teresereading Pretty sure that our national census includes prisons, as does our annual report on government services 3mo

monkeygirlsmama Not counting those in homeless shelters?! 3mo

IuliaC Statistics in general can often be misleading or unreliable, worldwide 3mo

Ruthiella Unemployment statistics can similarly off. 3mo

54 likes5 comments

mcctrish

Poverty, by America | Matthew Desmond

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Finished this book while making dinner last night ( Sweet Potato Chilli from Jamie Oliver‘s latest cookbook 5 Ingredients Mediterranean) the powers that be should give a listen ( canada 🇨🇦 too) we really need to do better, everyone should feel like they have a stable life and all children deserve better

Tamra Yum! 3mo

mcctrish @Tamra it really was Yum! JO gives lots of ways to serve it which is great cuz there are a LOT of leftovers 3mo

Tamra @mcctrish I love leftovers! 😃 Takes me off the hook for at least one meal. 3mo

See All 9 Comments

mcctrish Yes @Tamra 👏🏻👏🏻 3mo

SilversReviews YUM!! 3mo

mariaku21 Ooh that looks good 😊 3mo

mcctrish @mariaku21 I highly recommend 3mo

mariaku21 @mcctrish I just placed a hold at my library thanks to your post 😁 3mo

mcctrish @mariaku21 ❤️ 3mo

36 likes1 stack add9 comments

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