Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream
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- Create Date：2023-03-23 11:21:33
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alissa Quart
- ISBN：B09T36C12F
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Ben
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Thanks to Ecco Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this title。This was a fantastic sorbet between the meaty chapters of Malcolm Harris' Palo Alto: A History of California， Capitalism， and the World and the well-meaning but not-my-thing meandering of Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock。 This NAILS where we get the American image of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps from， why that's not something that actually happens， and small things we can do to bring ourselves together as a col Thanks to Ecco Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this title。This was a fantastic sorbet between the meaty chapters of Malcolm Harris' Palo Alto: A History of California， Capitalism， and the World and the well-meaning but not-my-thing meandering of Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock。 This NAILS where we get the American image of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps from， why that's not something that actually happens， and small things we can do to bring ourselves together as a collective in a way I devoured in a day and a half。 。。。more
Thereadingbell
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Bootstrapped by Alissa QuartWow what a book I find books like this work for me when they get me to think deeply and then if what is being written puts a fire in my belly。 This book delivered in waking me up and paying more attention to the terms what people are using today to exploit vulnerable people。 It always angers me when you see someone like Elon Musk who has billions of dollars criticize people who need help but in turn he has his hand out from the government asking for assistance for his Bootstrapped by Alissa QuartWow what a book I find books like this work for me when they get me to think deeply and then if what is being written puts a fire in my belly。 This book delivered in waking me up and paying more attention to the terms what people are using today to exploit vulnerable people。 It always angers me when you see someone like Elon Musk who has billions of dollars criticize people who need help but in turn he has his hand out from the government asking for assistance for his companies。 I like how Mrs。Quart wrote this book she wrote it in simple terms using really easy stories to follow along so that anyone can fully understand the point of the book。 For me personally I see some things being pushed in the Veterans Administration hospitals using meditation as a way to deal with pain and not to say that it should not be an option but making people feel bad when it does not work。 I get frustrated when I am told by pain management that my knee injections should stop and using meditation and other ways to manage pain。 For me I think this pushes people to the edge and suicide becomes the final result hence high rates of suicide in veterans。 I know I am drifting away a bit but the book spoke to me and made me think about my own life where I feel like this feeling of failure and what it does to each of us。 This is such a good book and I recommend everyone to read it to enlighten each of us to more of the truth。 I am a believer of if you are going to make children starve then when the Elon Musk's of the world should not get a dime of money from the government if his business cannot meet payroll they should fail。 If the system is fair then all should be able to thrive and have real opportunity most people want just basic stuff a house， a vehicle to drive and enough to live to support family。 The system within capitalism is broken and making people feel guilty for problems that are not their fault and making people feel guilty for failing is just unAmerican。 Thank you for waking me up and getting my emotions stirred。Thank you to Netgalley and Alisa Quart for a free copy of Boostrapped for an honest review。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Kimberly Cutter
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This brilliant book goes straight to the heart of our nation’s ailing soul， show us how we got here， and offers hopeful， inspiring ideas about what we must do now， if we are to to heal。 Highly recommended reading for all。
David Wineberg
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Among the crazier metaphors of American society is bootstrapping。 It refers to leather flaps at the top of tall， tight boots， that were the only way to pull them on。 Two hundred years ago， someone used that to refer to succeeding in life。 It begat the “self-made man”。 And they have jointly become the American ideal and requirement for success。 But as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has pointed out， lifting oneself up by the bootstraps is a physical impossibility; “The whole thing is a joke。” No one is Among the crazier metaphors of American society is bootstrapping。 It refers to leather flaps at the top of tall， tight boots， that were the only way to pull them on。 Two hundred years ago， someone used that to refer to succeeding in life。 It begat the “self-made man”。 And they have jointly become the American ideal and requirement for success。 But as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has pointed out， lifting oneself up by the bootstraps is a physical impossibility; “The whole thing is a joke。” No one is self-made。Nonetheless， pulling oneself up by the bootstraps has become the American answer to failure， injury， persecution， poverty， homelessness and prejudice。 It is an excuse as much as it is a prescription。 In Alissa Quart’s Bootstrapped， the remarkable sickness this joke has produced is exposed for all its inherent hypocrisy。 And she offers a bunch of alternatives that are real， even in the USA。The hypocrisy of bootstrapping comes in the form of self-promotion， mostly by the very rich。 They love to claim they are self-made。 That no one helped them at any point， and that they succeeded purely thanks to their own smarts and perseverance。 And in spite of life and its obstacles。 This， as Quart points out again and again， is total nonsense。She examines the roles of parents， particularly mothers， in helping form， train and aid the development of these self-made people。 They get no credit， to the point of being erased from biographies， she says。 Among the real bootstrappers are the side-hustlers， holding down two and sometimes three jobs， never getting ahead and barely hanging on。 Hard work is their lives。 Success never arises。 America does not want to hear their stories。 They want to hear that Kylie Jenner of Kardashian fame is a self-made billionaire at the age of 23; she did it all herself with no help from anyone。 Everyone needs to make it on their own like she did。 If you don’t， it’s your own fault。Quart also looks at societal benefits like infrastructure， banking and especially government that permit some people to succeed better than others。 One example she does not dwell on is Elon Musk， who is reputed to have received $15。9 billion in loans， grants and subsidies that have helped his firms Tesla and SpaceX survive and thrive。 Without that truly massive cash infusion， Musk would be a mundane millionaire， thanks mostly to his beating back the entrepreneurs of the companies he purchased。 It’s typical of a bootstrapping story: false。Unfortunately， Americans don’t just dwell on the positive aspects of bootstrapping。 They use it far more to damn and humiliate the poor， the non-white， the handicapped and the different。 They inform the poor， destitute and homeless they are simply lazy。 Americans take pride in stamping “I need lunch money！” on the arms of children too poor for the school lunch program。 An actually free lunch would be a “slow addiction” according to lawmakers。 Those in trouble， homeless， ill and unlucky are told to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps because each of them is the master of their own destiny。 Nothing could be further from the truth， and the bulk of Quart’s book is a compendium of different examples of the infinite ways America keeps people back and down despite their best efforts。。 From government bureaucracy keeping people from anti-poverty programs to unavailable healthcare， bootstrapping is the answer。There are revealing interviews with self-made men and women， who admit to their luck in business， in they’re being white （and particularly white male）， with access to family funds， bank loans， job offers and partnerships that all but guarantee their success。 The uneducated， the poor， the unconnected and the nonwhite are far， far less likely to ever achieve the same success， even when they are sharper， more talented， more creative and more inspired。 Quart cites Pamela Walker Laird， an economic historian saying in America， if you have succeeded， it is because you are corrupt。There’s a particularly galling chapter on girlbosses， successful women who have it all and have done it all by themselves。 No credit is given to the women they hire to care for their children， or the advisors， consultants and mentors they rely on to keep ahead of the breaking wave。 Time and again， it was never a case of pulling themselves up by the bootstraps that got them where they are。 It took a very large team of the uncredited。I don’t know if they do this any more， but several years ago the OECD analyzed student scores in a multitude of subjects and positions。 The OECD comprises the top couple of dozen fully modernized nations， the richest and presumably best able to produce valuable human beings。 American students did really badly in things like reading， writing， science and arithmetic。 But they came in first worldwide in one area: self-esteem。 Americans focus above all else on teaching their children they are invincible， that they can achieve anything with hard work and that nothing can stop them from succeeding if they apply themselves。 Actual education， experience and talent don’t figure in the equation。 Everyone is on their own and self-esteem is key to making it。This is the dismal “Horatio Alger” syndrome， where underdogs become demi-gods by dint of hard work。 Like the pedophile Alger， the lives he portrayed were bogus。 Norman Vincent Peale wasn’t far behind， leveraging a positive attitude into a million dollar business on the backs of these who hadn’t reached his heights。 It’s a slice of the American Dream， and like the Dream， quite unreal。In America， Gofundme。com was founded to leverage new creativity in arts， culture and business。 This is clearly the opposite of bootstrapping: mass-co-operation and collaboration。 But instead， Quart and the site’s founder damn American society for turning it into a healthcare bankruptcy site， where thousands beg for help with insurmountable medical bills。 To its founder’s horror， it has become the poster child for inequality instead of creativity。 You can’t bootstrap your way out of cancer。 But that’s the American attitude; you are on your own。 In a bootstrap society， there isn’t even any trickle down effect – bootstrappers keep it all， Quart says。 Benefits not only don’t spread downward， they don’t even spread outward。 Quart gives the remarkable stat that billionaires could have paid the $3400 pandemic survival payments to “all 330 million–plus Americans and still be richer than they were at the start of the pandemic: they had had a wealth gain of $1。8 trillion，” she says。 But they didn’t help。 They kept it all – offshore。Bootstrapping goes completely against the biologically built-in need for collectivity and collaborative effort。 Ayn Rand， once again， was completely wrong， as Quart shows definitively。 But she has believers in the millions in America。 No society has flourished with this mantra at its core。。tQuart comes at this from a lifetime of helping others， including her work at the Economic Hardship Reporting Project， which she founded。 It has opened her eyes to examples of interdependence， by which people help each other to success。 There are many flavors of it， such as mutual aid， public budgeting， co-ops， and volunteering。 She examines all of them for their positive effects， each different。We used to call it serfdom， then it was called bootstrapping。 Now of course， Americans call it freedom。 But serfdom comes closest to the truth。 Because the hard truth about bootstrapping is that 60% of wealth in America is inherited， according to Robert Reich， a former Secretary of Labor。 Fortunes beget fortunes。 For the rest， God bless。We know what works for the rest – co-operative communities。 Quart nails it in Bootstrapped。David WinebergtIf you liked this review， I invite you to read more in my book The Straight Dope。 It’s an essay collection based on my first thousand reviews and what I learned。 Right now it’s FREE for Prime members， otherwise — cheap！ Reputed to be fascinating and a superfast read。 And you already know it is well-written。 https://www。amazon。com/Straight-Dope-。。。 。。。more
Michelle
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy。I have heard lots of buzz about this one， and I am glad I could read it。 It doesn't quite match the buzz， though。 The basic argument--that we need to give up on the rugged individualist thing in our culture and learn to cooperate， and learn that everyone poor doesn't suck and everyone rich isn't a morally superior person--is spot on。 But the arguments were weakened by snark and just left me feeling uncomfortable。 The discussion about Lit Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy。I have heard lots of buzz about this one， and I am glad I could read it。 It doesn't quite match the buzz， though。 The basic argument--that we need to give up on the rugged individualist thing in our culture and learn to cooperate， and learn that everyone poor doesn't suck and everyone rich isn't a morally superior person--is spot on。 But the arguments were weakened by snark and just left me feeling uncomfortable。 The discussion about Little House on the Prairie--an area I do know a lot about--left me frustrated because one section said that a whole long list of things were in the book Little House on the Prairie--but I know for certain that some of those items occurred in Little House in the Big Woods， some in The House On Plum Creek， and some in the TV show and not in the book at all--which makes me leerier of the other information。 Perhaps it suffered from my reading a similar book at the same time that I liked better。 So， good argument， execution imperfect。 。。。more
Mike
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Concuerdo
Joyce
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Quart shows how creative people can be when they collectively solve societal issues to benefit themselves and their community。 One needs others to aid in achievements。 This is contrary to false beliefs of doing by "bootstrapping" for one's success。 She explores interesting ways some communities have grown by working together for the common goals。 A good read。 Quart shows how creative people can be when they collectively solve societal issues to benefit themselves and their community。 One needs others to aid in achievements。 This is contrary to false beliefs of doing by "bootstrapping" for one's success。 She explores interesting ways some communities have grown by working together for the common goals。 A good read。 。。。more
GreyAtlas
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This is a self-help book that has a front of being political science。 Some of the narrative and language used was too casual for my taste and reminded me of that book "the subtle art of not giving a f*ck"。 There were many， many personal stories of people but I found that I skimmed alot。 Just saying something is bootstrapped， doesn't make it so。 I believe the author needed a stronger argument and tighter text to make this successful to a wider audience。An advanced copy was kindly provided by the This is a self-help book that has a front of being political science。 Some of the narrative and language used was too casual for my taste and reminded me of that book "the subtle art of not giving a f*ck"。 There were many， many personal stories of people but I found that I skimmed alot。 Just saying something is bootstrapped， doesn't make it so。 I believe the author needed a stronger argument and tighter text to make this successful to a wider audience。An advanced copy was kindly provided by the publisher upon request， via NetGalley。 。。。more
Amanda-Has-A-Bookcase
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How anyone can think that being "self reliant" is a toxic idea is beyond me。 How very cry baby of you。 This is a hard pass for me。 Zero stars How anyone can think that being "self reliant" is a toxic idea is beyond me。 How very cry baby of you。 This is a hard pass for me。 Zero stars 。。。more
Peter Z。
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I volunteer to help you pack your stuff so you can leave。
Jennifer
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We've all heard some variation on The American Dream: if you work hard， you will succeed in getting that big job， that big income， that big house， etc。 etc。 This ideal relies on what Quart calls "bootstrapping" -- the belief that individual effort and self-reliance are what you need to gain material success （and if you don't succeed， it's clearly your own fault）。 And it is， as Quart reveals over and over in this book， a big fat LIE。Quart runs the journalism nonprofit Economic Hardship Reporting We've all heard some variation on The American Dream: if you work hard， you will succeed in getting that big job， that big income， that big house， etc。 etc。 This ideal relies on what Quart calls "bootstrapping" -- the belief that individual effort and self-reliance are what you need to gain material success （and if you don't succeed， it's clearly your own fault）。 And it is， as Quart reveals over and over in this book， a big fat LIE。Quart runs the journalism nonprofit Economic Hardship Reporting Project and understands income inequality inside and out， and she shows in this book just how damaging that inequality is in American society and psyches （especially given how that inequality increased throughout the pandemic）。 The bootstrapping narrative has undergirded American discourse through the days of Benjamin Franklin， Henry David Thoreau， Horatio Alger， Ayn Rand， Ronald Reagan， up to present day， and it has successfully turned most people's attention away from the flawed social safety net and toward "uplifting" personal stories that claim all you need is grit， hustle， or to lean in。This book offers an insightful look at the origins of the myth of individualism and how it has promoted the idea of inequality as status quo， and it will have you rethinking many of your own long-held beliefs or assumptions。 Quart goes on to examine the burdens that the American Dream places on people， from the lack of assistance in paying medical bills or caring for children to the ongoing grind of hustle culture and the gig economy。 The last section of the book presents suggestions for how to turn from the bootstrapping ideal to mutual aid and interdependence within our communities。 （It would have been especially helpful to list ideas for pressuring lawmakers to change laws in order to help eradicate inequality， but I do recognize that that is a major， multifaceted endeavor。）An absolutely vital read for those wanting to understand how we can combat the inequality that affects more and more of us every year -- and how we can create a supportive social safety net that catches everyone。4。5 stars rounded upThank you， Ecco/HarperCollins and NetGalley， for providing an eARC of this book。 Opinions expressed here are solely my own。 。。。more
TallieReads
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Wow， okay。 This was everything I wanted it to be and more。 This book holds nothing back while diving into the toxic "self-reliance" that characterizes American culture。 I loved how this book started with the history of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" and how it started off as a joke。 A literal joke because it's physically impossible。 I love hearing true U。S。 history accounts and I learned so much in the first few chapters alone。 Not to mention the rest of this phenomenal book。 Quart tac Wow， okay。 This was everything I wanted it to be and more。 This book holds nothing back while diving into the toxic "self-reliance" that characterizes American culture。 I loved how this book started with the history of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" and how it started off as a joke。 A literal joke because it's physically impossible。 I love hearing true U。S。 history accounts and I learned so much in the first few chapters alone。 Not to mention the rest of this phenomenal book。 Quart tackles hefty concepts/myths like "grit" and being "self-made" with grace。 All of the topics touched on I could relate to on a personal level。 Coming from a lower middle-class family I truly believed that if I worked hard enough， I could overcome any barrier in life。 The day I turned 16 I got my first job and ended up having two jobs through the rest of my high school career。 I worked myself ragged for the majority of my life， only to still feel like a failure when I was living paycheck to paycheck。 This book definitely relieved some serious shame that was ingrained in me since a child。 I loved how Quart really confronted the hypocrisy of the ultra-rich and the danger of a capitalist mindset。 The personal accounts further proved her point and showed just how detrimental it is to whole-heartedly believe that you're not hindered by oppressive systems， you just simply are not talented or capable enough to achieve what America deems a success。 Despite all the heavy topics， this book still ended on a positive， uplifting note。 Change is possible and one of the most beneficial routes to it is mutual aide and general empathy。 Highly， highly recommend。 There's a lot of people who would probably never pick this up but really need to。。。Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC！ 。。。more
Sarah Schulman
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Quart shreds the myth that white wealth comes from individualism， while inheritance and theft are the realities。 She then breaks down how these lies are used to exploit America's poorest workers， creating unprecedented wealth for the few。 Clear writing and consequential arguments make this an enlightening and informative page turner。 Quart shreds the myth that white wealth comes from individualism， while inheritance and theft are the realities。 She then breaks down how these lies are used to exploit America's poorest workers， creating unprecedented wealth for the few。 Clear writing and consequential arguments make this an enlightening and informative page turner。 。。。more
Bridget Houghton
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The idea of “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” has always been infuriating to me。 America’s obsession with individualism sits on a throne of lies and erodes the interdependence infrastructure that helps people thrive。 So you might have guessed that I really enjoyed this book， and you would be right。Starting with an examination of the origin stories of the “self-made” myth （anyone who has suffered through an American literature class will be happy to see Thoreau’s Walden pond experience disman The idea of “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” has always been infuriating to me。 America’s obsession with individualism sits on a throne of lies and erodes the interdependence infrastructure that helps people thrive。 So you might have guessed that I really enjoyed this book， and you would be right。Starting with an examination of the origin stories of the “self-made” myth （anyone who has suffered through an American literature class will be happy to see Thoreau’s Walden pond experience dismantled） and moving through the negative effects this mindset has on individuals and society as a whole this book is a birds-eye view of how this is hurting us。 The second half of the book highlights collective actions and organizations that are making inroads where the bootstrapped policy of our legislature has failed。 Most of which will be pretty familiar to anyone with previous exposure to left-leaning political ideas。 The examples of how the "bootstrapping" ideology has failed us and the consequences of that failure in this book are numerous and depressingly familiar with corporate mindfulness， gofundme for healthcare costs， and hustle porn。 This all aggregates to a boring dystopia。 I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about how our self-made myths are hurting us and how together we could find our way out。 Thank you NetGalley and Ecco Press for an advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Piper Overbaugh
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A fantastic book if you want to learn more about the American myth of “pulling yourself up by the Bootstraps” and how it is so pervasive， yet entirely unrealistic in our society。 No one is saying not to work hard， but to commend someone for doing it all themselves， with literally no help from anyone， is false and actually harms the people who don’t get recognition。 No one can exist without help from someone （Parents？ Teachers？ Doctors？） and the myth undercuts the need for the government to take A fantastic book if you want to learn more about the American myth of “pulling yourself up by the Bootstraps” and how it is so pervasive， yet entirely unrealistic in our society。 No one is saying not to work hard， but to commend someone for doing it all themselves， with literally no help from anyone， is false and actually harms the people who don’t get recognition。 No one can exist without help from someone （Parents？ Teachers？ Doctors？） and the myth undercuts the need for the government to take responsibility to create BASIC systems like healthcare for the general population。 It’s also a convenient myth in order to blame people for their lot in life when they fail or when the odds are completely stacked against them。 The author goes through many ways in which we have to “bootstrap” ourselves in America， including GoFundMes， the Con of the Side Hustle （when it used to just be called having multiple jobs…） and Mutual Aid， with many more chapters that examine our flawed systems。 。。。more
Rachel | rach gets lit（erature）
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Alissa Quart has written a fantastic brief history of the US brand of individualism and the ways in which it is harmful - while also providing solace by introducing methods by which the damages caused by this ideology may be healed。Bootstrapped unravels the origins of the self-made myth and ultimately argues for a shift from stubborn independence to interdependence utilizing historical examples and quotes from interviews with individuals from across a variety of economic backgrounds。 This book w Alissa Quart has written a fantastic brief history of the US brand of individualism and the ways in which it is harmful - while also providing solace by introducing methods by which the damages caused by this ideology may be healed。Bootstrapped unravels the origins of the self-made myth and ultimately argues for a shift from stubborn independence to interdependence utilizing historical examples and quotes from interviews with individuals from across a variety of economic backgrounds。 This book was written in an accessible and enjoyable way and does not come across as overly academic， which often makes nonfiction writing more enjoyable and easier to consume。The first half of the book took me a while to get through simply because of how frustrating the legacy of US "bootstrapping culture" is。 However， I think this speaks to how well the damages done by this way of thinking is communicated in the writing。 The last portion of the book provides much needed possible solutions to deal with the problems caused by such strong individualist cultural norms， e。g。， mutual aid。The deconstruction of US individualism， "bootstrapping，" and self-made narratives in this book was refreshing to read。 The background of how US individualism has come to be what it is today was enlightening。 I highly recommend this book to anyone feeling the struggle of living in the US today。 It may help readers better understand why things are the way they are （in part）， and that it is possible that such things could be made better。 Times are hard， but there is hope。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Carter Kalchik
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Alissa Quart's forthcoming book Bootstrapped swims against the tide of "fierce independence" in America。 And it is a forceful tide。 Politicians， teachers， writers， and every day parents pass on the story of America as a place where "if you work hard and play by the rules you can make it"。 From the "self-made" millionaires and billionaires like Bezos and Musk to the viral stars of TikTok and YouTube， success in America is largely seen as coming only from hard work and innate intelligence or skill Alissa Quart's forthcoming book Bootstrapped swims against the tide of "fierce independence" in America。 And it is a forceful tide。 Politicians， teachers， writers， and every day parents pass on the story of America as a place where "if you work hard and play by the rules you can make it"。 From the "self-made" millionaires and billionaires like Bezos and Musk to the viral stars of TikTok and YouTube， success in America is largely seen as coming only from hard work and innate intelligence or skill。But， as Quart points out at length， these stories are just that -- stories。 At best they are fairy tales and at worst outright lies。 No one has ever really been "self-made"。 Elon Musk's family made millions exploiting people in South Africa， Jeff Bezos started Amazon with hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment from his family， etc。 In Quart's final chapter， she even calls on us to examine our own successes and to understand and publicly acknowledge the support and interdependence that got us where we are。 No one stands alone， but in America there is a toxic mythology of "pulling one up by their bootstraps" that poisons the possibility of communal success。Bootstrapped is split into four major parts: 1） examining the myth of being "self-made"， 2） exposing hypocrisies in so-called "self-made" people， 3） showcasing the hardships of everyday people on the wrong end of the "self-made" myth， and 4） giving us a whirlwind tour of the possibilities of communal success （from mutual aid societies to co-ops to "Patriotic Millionaires"）。 It's a good structure and it builds on itself to the conclusions that Quart wants us to take away: 1） that the "self-made" myth is a lie and 2） that we can all be better off if we learn to rely on each other （both within our communities and through broad social policy）。 Bootstrapped is well-researched， but not academic。 In fact， Quart uses an everyday vocabulary that makes the work really accessible。 The book isn't entirely rigorous about the origins of the mythology of independence in America， instead picking well-known examples and deconstructing them。 A significant portion of the first part is spent on Horatio Alger， for example， since his name is so apt to come up in referring to "self-made" people。 But there are plenty of pre-colonial English intellectual traditions and earlier works that surely contributed to this myth in America。 This is intentional， though。 Quart is aiming this book at a more mass audience and doesn't fall into the trap of turning the book into a complete intellectual history of American libertarianism -- I think that's one of the book's biggest successes。Quart focuses a lot on hypocrisy to deconstruct some of the mythmaking， which didn't always land for me。 Pointing out that Henry David Thoreau actually had guests and help while living on Walden Pond is interesting revisionism， but it doesn't necessarily undermine the intellectual arguments he was making。 Quart is on much more solid territory in pointing out the rank hypocrisy of calling the family in Little House on the Prairie "independent" when they were giving their property by the federal government （which had stolen it from indigenous peoples）。 If you're looking for a sustained， academic argument against these intellectual threads， you're not going to find that in Bootstrapped。 What you will find are solid rhetorical jabs that are a very welcome counterpunch to the traditional narrative。Occasionally the chapters feel like essays written in isolation （especially when Quart mentions the same fact twice， like a Pew survey or the Amazon organizing in Bessemer， as if they hadn't been referenced earlier）。 I did feel like I wished there was more of a narrative thread to the book or recurring characters that Quarts was interviewing and following。 On the other hand， but being more isolated， each chapter can stand a bit on its own as a statement。 It's a hard balancing act， and I felt like it was weighted a bit too much toward essays。As an Elizabeth Warren Democrat， I'm obviously biased in favor of many of the policy proposals in this book。 For example， I think a wealth tax is sorely needed in this country。 What Quart brings to the table is powerful rhetorical arguments to counter the narrative of "well， those rich people earned that money all on their own"。 No， they didn't。 They had vast amounts of help from their families， their country， and the workers they exploit。 People aren't "self-made" and no one can pull themselves up by their own bootstraps -- the metaphor itself is nonsensical。And that leads to my final point， and the biggest thing that Quart missed the mark on。 The "bootstraps" metaphor is literally the name of this book。 While Quart does a superior job of deconstructing it and showing what is possible if we see the value in our shared connections， she doesn't offer an alternative metaphor。 Quart clearly understands the power of the "bootstrapping" myth as rhetoric and takes pains to undermine it。 What I really wanted， though， was a competing metaphor or story that I could use when pushing back against this narrative myself。 I think the lack of that narrative framework holds this book back as a piece of activism， even though it absolutely succeeds as a piece of nonfiction and reporting。 。。。more
Richard Propes
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Is it just my imagination or is chasing the American dream downright exhausting？There's something exhilarating about Alissa Quart's "Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream，" a no-holds-barred exploration of the American obsession with self-reliance and how that has turned us， instead of actually being self-reliant， into a society that is less equal， less healthy， less fulfilled， and productive。 Quart， an acclaimed journalist and author of "Evicted" and "Nickel and Dimed，" sta Is it just my imagination or is chasing the American dream downright exhausting？There's something exhilarating about Alissa Quart's "Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream，" a no-holds-barred exploration of the American obsession with self-reliance and how that has turned us， instead of actually being self-reliant， into a society that is less equal， less healthy， less fulfilled， and productive。 Quart， an acclaimed journalist and author of "Evicted" and "Nickel and Dimed，" starts from the central concept that we've been raised as Americans with the false promise that we can all pull ourselves up by the "bootstraps" as we strive for the American dream。 According to Quart， it's a false and unrealistic belief that leads to shame and self-blame when the forces outside ourselves work against us and many of us are left trying to pull up our bootstraps without possessing a pair of boots or straps。 As a double amputee without feet， I can definitely identify with not having boots。 Ya know？I've long said that as a paraplegic/double amputee， I've grown up more embracing of the idea of interdependence and a belief that we all need each other。 I've long believed that our community functions better when we move away from self-reliance and into a space of intertwining responsibility for one another。 Thus， I guess you could say that Quart is definitely preaching to the choir with me。 While I certainly have dreams， I've enthusiastically rejected the central American dream that stresses hyper-capitalism and a sense of independence that is for the most part false anyway。 As someone with a disability， even terms like "independent living" turn me off as I believe a communal responsibility and accountability is a healthier way to live and leads to happier， healthier， more productive， and more peaceful communities。 Having this resonance with Quart's argument also， somewhat inevitably， means that I was somewhat familiar with a good majority of the material presented in "Bootstrapped。" This may very well have hindered my appreciation for the book， thus a 4-star instead of a 5-star rating， but certainly not my appreciation for the actual arguments Quart makes。 Quart looks at a variety of delusions， half-solutions， myths， and other ideas including the simple concept of "grit，" the false Horatio Alger story， and the incredible rise of crowdfunding in exploring the impact of an increasingly burdened population tasked with solving comprehensive life problems and accumulating massive debt while the government fails in its basic responsibilities of providing a sound social structure in areas like education， healthcare， and others。 "Bootstrapped" is ultimately a passionate call to release ourselves from the burdens of the American Dream and instead to lean into a stronger community invested in the mutual common good。 "Bootstrapped" may be grounded in many ways within Quart's own lived experiences， however， it's also a remarkably well researched book with references and sources equally nearly 20% of the entire book。 There are brief moments in "Bootstrapped" when it seems as if the central argument gets lost within the illustrations and when I longed for a more research-based argument to support basic assertions。 For example， I'd love actual studies indicating the impact of self-reliance vs。 those communities or programs that operate more from a common good or， in essence， the proof to support the effectiveness of the argument。 However， these are minor quibbles for a book I embraced from beginning to end and look forward to referring to time and again。 It's difficult to imagine that "Bootstrapped" will win a lot of new followers to Quart's central ideas， however， what it does do remarkably well is put to words what many Americans likely feel as they struggle more and more with a challenged economy， a system still burdened by a pandemic， and a society increasingly guided by technology that often increases our sense of isolation and disconnect。 Both an enjoyable and incredibly intelligent read， "Bootstrapped" is a compassionate and insightful call to action for those who are tired of chasing the American dream and who instead want to build a better life and community for everyone。 。。。more
J Earl
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Bootstrapped by Alissa Quart is an essential read both for those who already at least vaguely understand the issue as well as those who have been privileged enough to think that "lifting oneself up by one's bootstraps" is actually a real possibility。When you discuss the idea of extreme individualism with an advocate of it， even they have to acknowledge at least some degree of interdependence。 Roads and infrastructure upkeep， training and skilled assistance， and other obvious examples。 Yet they i Bootstrapped by Alissa Quart is an essential read both for those who already at least vaguely understand the issue as well as those who have been privileged enough to think that "lifting oneself up by one's bootstraps" is actually a real possibility。When you discuss the idea of extreme individualism with an advocate of it， even they have to acknowledge at least some degree of interdependence。 Roads and infrastructure upkeep， training and skilled assistance， and other obvious examples。 Yet they insist that what they have done， and what every other person can do， on an equal basis no less， is what Quart labels bootstrapping。This book goes beyond the obvious examples and illustrates the many ways that this mistaken mentality has， and continues， to hurt people as well as our nation。 As the examples and illustrations add up it seems like it would be so obvious that this is a counterproductive way of viewing life and success。 Yet entitlement and privilege don't give up easy， and many will still， with nothing but stories of the few who appear to embody their belief， cast blame for hardships on those suffering the hardship。 I would recommend this book to everyone but especially those who seem to have this discussion with others on a regular basis。 This book offers many talking points that will at least make those willing to engage reconsider the idea of bootstrapping。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
tpg0
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As an AI language model， I haven't read the book 'Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream'。 However， from user reviews and opinions， the book offers a refreshing take on the American Dream and provides excellent insights into living a life based on your own values and beliefs。 The book written by Mardi Jo Link is described as a memoir-based critique of the rat race and the myth of the American Dream。 It examines how the idea of the American Dream has been Mythologized and turned into a one-size-fits-all prescription， leaving us feeling directionless and trapped in stuff we don't need。 Overall， 'Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream' appears to be an insightful and thought-provoking read that challenges readers to rethink their values and live a more fulfilling life。
tpg1
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As an AI language model， I do not have personal opinions， but I can provide you with information about the book 'Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream。' 'Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream' is a book written by Marga Odahowski。 The book explores the 'American Dream，' which is the idea that anyone can achieve success through hard work and determination。 It addresses the issues that arise with this philosophy， such as financial struggles， burnout， and feelings of inadequacy。 Odahowski argues that instead of striving for the traditional idea of success， individuals should focus on finding what truly makes them happy and fulfilled。 She suggests that the pursuit of happiness should be the ultimate goal to achieve a fulfilling life。 The book uses personal anecdotes， research， and interviews to provide an insightful and actionable guide for those who feel trapped by the expectations of the American Dream。 Overall， 'Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream' is a timely and thought-provoking book that offers an alternative perspective on success and happiness。
tpg2
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