Poverty Safari
- Downloads：1311
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-17 08:54:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Darren McGarvey
- ISBN：1529006341
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The Sunday Times top ten bestseller。
Winner of the Orwell Prize 2018。
Darren McGarvey has experienced poverty and its devastating effects first-hand。 He knows why people from deprived communities all around Britain feel angry and unheard。 And he wants to explain 。 。 。
So he invites you to come on a safari of sorts。 But not the kind where the wildlife is surveyed from a safe distance。 This book takes you inside the experience of poverty to show how the pressures really feel and how hard their legacy is to overcome。
Arguing that both the political left and right misunderstand poverty as it is actually lived， McGarvey sets out what everybody – including himself – could do to change things。 Razor-sharp， fearless and brutally honest， Poverty Safari is an unforgettable insight into modern Britain。
Winner of the Orwell Prize 2018。
Darren McGarvey has experienced poverty and its devastating effects first-hand。 He knows why people from deprived communities all around Britain feel angry and unheard。 And he wants to explain 。 。 。
So he invites you to come on a safari of sorts。 But not the kind where the wildlife is surveyed from a safe distance。 This book takes you inside the experience of poverty to show how the pressures really feel and how hard their legacy is to overcome。
Arguing that both the political left and right misunderstand poverty as it is actually lived， McGarvey sets out what everybody – including himself – could do to change things。 Razor-sharp， fearless and brutally honest， Poverty Safari is an unforgettable insight into modern Britain。
Reviews
Imogen West
，
A different viewpoint on British politics
A Home Library
，
Book Reviews⤵️I just finished two books that fall under similar categories of looking at class and its related societal issues & impacts in modern United Kingdom。First， “Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty， Motherhood， and Survival” by Cash Carraway （2019） packs a lot of life into a few hundred pages。 It doesn’t hold back。 I’ve never read a book that starts with something so…。 well， startling。 “Namaste is smeared in s*** across the toilet cubicle mirror。” Alright， I’m listening。 But I think that’s Book Reviews⤵️I just finished two books that fall under similar categories of looking at class and its related societal issues & impacts in modern United Kingdom。First， “Skint Estate: A Memoir of Poverty， Motherhood， and Survival” by Cash Carraway （2019） packs a lot of life into a few hundred pages。 It doesn’t hold back。 I’ve never read a book that starts with something so…。 well， startling。 “Namaste is smeared in s*** across the toilet cubicle mirror。” Alright， I’m listening。 But I think that’s half the point。 The author laments that no one listens to the “underclass，” certain people in society deemed unfit for whatever reason。 For this author， she felt stuck in a cycle of abuse and poverty she had endured since childhood。 Adamant to stop this pattern for her own child， this memoir is mostly about a woman and mother navigating institutions， “safety nets” that she finds are entangling and counterintuitive， and attempting to provide for herself and daughter。 It does not hold back and a lot of content is NSFW or whatever you wanna call it。 It’s just reality。 Sex work， poverty， crappy homes and estates， trouble with parents or abusive partners， etc。Book 2 is “Poverty Safari: Understanding the anger of Britain’s underclass” by Darren McGarvey aka Loki， a Scottish rapper。 I didn’t know of this author before reading this book。 It doesn’t make a lick of difference — it’s still well thought out and researched， albeit more of a flowing essay style political/social commentary based on his and others’ experiences。 It speaks on this central theme of ANGER…。 it’s something I came across in book 1 as well。There are overlaps between each book thematically。 Of course， poverty & class， crime and lack of opportunity/hope， but also anger， bitterness， distrust， a desire to escape the cycle， and how mistakes/victories impact people disproportionately。 Both approach discussion of these elements in different ways， but the themes and conclusions are rather similar。 Two different genders， two different countries， two different paths to becoming authors or whatever career they have landed。 Very interesting reads for those who want to learn more about these themes。 。。。more
Susie
，
A very powerful book， took me a day to read。 I can’t articulate much else in this attempt of a review but I really believe this is one of those life changing books that will take a while to process。 Tackling complexity in a world that is increasingly polarised is an admirable task。
Shaughna
，
The thought processes and points behind this book are unignorable。 I couldn't put the book down， and it very much personifies its' point。 You feel like you're slowly understanding what he means， how he got there， and his worldview with him as he grows it himself。 His choice of words isn't always exactly what I would use， and I find it interesting he chooses to use certain language considering his subject matter; but I also can appreciate why he may have done so。 That's a very secretive paragraph The thought processes and points behind this book are unignorable。 I couldn't put the book down， and it very much personifies its' point。 You feel like you're slowly understanding what he means， how he got there， and his worldview with him as he grows it himself。 His choice of words isn't always exactly what I would use， and I find it interesting he chooses to use certain language considering his subject matter; but I also can appreciate why he may have done so。 That's a very secretive paragraph I've just written， but you'll probably agree when you've read the book。 I will cherish this book， and its' messages will stay with me for a very long time。 。。。more
El
，
”we tend only to be interested in whichever half of the story absolves us of responsibility for the problem。”I read this for school but found it surprisingly interesting and well written。 I really wasn’t sure what I was expecting going into this which I think helped as with these sorts of books if they don’t further your own personal political agenda then you’re often left sorely disappointed。 However I made the mistake of trying to read the majority of the middle of this book late at night & my ”we tend only to be interested in whichever half of the story absolves us of responsibility for the problem。”I read this for school but found it surprisingly interesting and well written。 I really wasn’t sure what I was expecting going into this which I think helped as with these sorts of books if they don’t further your own personal political agenda then you’re often left sorely disappointed。 However I made the mistake of trying to read the majority of the middle of this book late at night & my brain simply could not cope so while I have hazy memory of that section， particularly because it lacked the narrative drive that the beginning had， I am very aware that I would have enjoyed this more at a time when my brain was a bit less suboptimal。 That being said though， this book widened my perspective on a lot of poverty issues that I’d either never thought about before or not thought about in that way。 ”You can’t claim to have thought about anything at all if your own absurd nature doesn’t cross your mind at least once a day。” 。。。more
Tony Cartlidge
，
Part memoir， part political critique， McGarvey takes us on a tour of his upbringing in Glasgow's working-class scheme （housing estate） Pollok。 The son of an alcoholic mother who would die young， he reveals his own run-ins with homelessness， mental illness， drugs and alcohol， explaining how the stresses of poverty and trauma have a lifelong impact on our bodies and brains， life-expectancy， and on how we live， think， behave， succeed， and fail。 In the 32 short chapters， McGarvey navigates an angry Part memoir， part political critique， McGarvey takes us on a tour of his upbringing in Glasgow's working-class scheme （housing estate） Pollok。 The son of an alcoholic mother who would die young， he reveals his own run-ins with homelessness， mental illness， drugs and alcohol， explaining how the stresses of poverty and trauma have a lifelong impact on our bodies and brains， life-expectancy， and on how we live， think， behave， succeed， and fail。 In the 32 short chapters， McGarvey navigates an angry political minefield of the radical right and left， maturing as he writes， and reaching a point of self-acceptance that leads to a new understanding of how he， and anyone frustrated by the current state of political discourse， can re-approach entrenched ideas to find achievable gains in a political environment that may never have long-term solutions。 The book's power is in its connection to lived experience and in McGarvey's clarity of thought。 Expressed in accessible language， stripped of the academic shibboleths and baggy regalia that erect barriers to understanding， McGarvey manages to construct a clear narrative that both affirms and challenges established beliefs about class， activism， intersectionality and identity politics， trauma， poverty， and the poverty industry。McGarvey explains that the 32 chapters were written so that they can be accessed in any order， and this he achieves in as much as each chapter is not absolutely dependent on the previous one， but there's an evolution of thought on display here， an emotional and intellectual maturation that really pays off （and may piss you off） at the end。 Blistering at times， wry and sarcastic at others， Poverty Safari is smart， insightful， and never shirks necessary self-examination。 There is also an emotional core that is made more effective because McGarvey resists sentimentalizing it until the finale。 It sustains us through the polemics， the on-the-other-handing， and the mea-culpas that come with a genuine examination of the self， the system， and the responsibility we bear to be and act better。 Where， maybe， the book flags （not fails） is in the finale that shows McGarvey changed， stoic even， and at relative peace with his current situation， redeemed in part through the emotional distance and in part through emotional proximity to family new and old。 His closing chapter fails to put into practice the sustaining lesson of self-examination， a frank and open questioning of whether his current emotional plateau is due a greater understanding of his circumstances， or that some success has alleviated the poverty triggers that he and so many others live（d） with， the stressors that led to this book in the first place。I bought this book a couple of years ago when I was working on a project that examined my own upbringing in similar （though much， much tamer） circumstances。 I expected it to simply affirm what I already knew。 Instead of simple affirmations， McGarvey's book has really challenged me to examine my own assumptions and expectations， and to rethink how I react to the world around me。 Even if you are disappointed by the concluding chapter， I suspect that the journey is something one must undertake for it to feel like a genuine reward rather than a soothing arrival at some sort of peace。 It feels as though this book ends with a semi-colon rather than a full stop and that there's much more to come from McGarvey。 I truly hope so。 。。。more
Leon
，
"Nobody ever seems to be writing a dissertation on the link between emotional stress and chronic illness， or writing an opinion editorial about how they managed to give up smoking。 As if somehow these day-to-day problems are less consequential to the poor than the musings of Karl Marx。 As if somehow we can postpone action on the things that are demoralising， incapacitating and killing us until after the hypothetical revolution。" "Nobody ever seems to be writing a dissertation on the link between emotional stress and chronic illness， or writing an opinion editorial about how they managed to give up smoking。 As if somehow these day-to-day problems are less consequential to the poor than the musings of Karl Marx。 As if somehow we can postpone action on the things that are demoralising， incapacitating and killing us until after the hypothetical revolution。" 。。。more
Anna McIntyre
，
“At some point， I started believing the lie that I was not responsible for my own thoughts， feelings and emotions。 That these were all by-products of a system that mistreated and excluded me。”
Luis Fernández
，
I recommend to read this book to anyone because it doesn't only focus on poverty but also about the irritant politics of the new identity politics and how the narrative is not focusing in what it ought to and， instead， it's been more irrational than ever I recommend to read this book to anyone because it doesn't only focus on poverty but also about the irritant politics of the new identity politics and how the narrative is not focusing in what it ought to and， instead， it's been more irrational than ever 。。。more
Stephen Dahill
，
Definitely an important and challenging book。 The writing is excellent- only four stars because sometimes the structure is a bit unclear or （in some chapters） arguments or anecdotes don’t seem to be taken to their conclusions。 Nonetheless I consider this is a ‘must-read’ and would highly recommend it。
Sabeena
，
It is difficult to rate a book like this - which is a personal reflective account of McGarvey's own life experiences of poverty and the countless problems it is riddled with。 But I have given it a four star because I started and finished it with the same level of interest which is admirable seeing as it is no light read。 Thought-provoking and hard-hitting throughout， McGarvey's handle of language and ability to express really complicated themes incited awe within me at almost every page; his com It is difficult to rate a book like this - which is a personal reflective account of McGarvey's own life experiences of poverty and the countless problems it is riddled with。 But I have given it a four star because I started and finished it with the same level of interest which is admirable seeing as it is no light read。 Thought-provoking and hard-hitting throughout， McGarvey's handle of language and ability to express really complicated themes incited awe within me at almost every page; his command of language and description （he mentions his love for word and language early on in the book） was phenomenal considering what he aimed to get across was anger and frustration。 This is not a textbook nor a generalised view of the plight of the lower classes， it is a snapshot in incredible detail。His own story was tragic and I was extremely moved to know of it， although i appreciate it is not my sympathy he wanted。 The book is really his space to have his story told， in his words， without omission， without filters， without an agenda of what other's with a vested interest want/dont want him to say - so good on him for writing it。 Now， will others follow suit so we can listen to the stark reality of the suffering of the lower social class life by people actually living it， instead of the manipulated-to-their-own-agenda account by the higher classes （whether there is a noble intention behind it or not）？？？ Relevant for today， where we are relatively more aware of what groups around us have had their voices suppressed for long enough and actively welcome them to take their seat at a rounder table so they can be heard （which is not to say， it is easy or still not antagonised by the higher powers）， McGarvey doesnt speak for all these people， groups or communities， but he does appear to defend them in his own way because when talking about his experiences he is far too aware that he is not alone。So， the book is his vent so to speak （which is fair enough） and a message to those， who he is far too aware， intermittently hop on for a 'poverty safari' when the media decides to air out their sympathies to the poorer classes in event of a tragedy （the Grenfall Tower atrocity for example） and then proceeds to forget about it all just as quickly。 It made me think of the footage of Theresa May talking to the firefighters on the scene on that dark day and how her body language and lack of emotional response elicited such anger， fury and backlash for a while after。 McGarvey points out such situations and politics in his book that explain why the higher classes are just not going to get it。He does also point out， however， on numerous occasions， that man should also be accountable for his own choices and decisions。 That this too， can be powerful in laying down the germinal seeds culminating in transformation and change- but it is not a popular narrative where the poor is concerned。My take away from McGarvey's book- in a nutshell is that poverty is not just a state of a 'lack of （enough） money' but it is a complex interplay of vulnerability and politics。 The parts of society that hop on and off the sympathy bandwagon really dont have a clue， so they need to approach this differently if they truly do care！ And for the other side living through it all， experiencing it at the grassroot level- is it time to look at oneself too and see if transformation can begin with ourself first？ McGarvey needs to be careful with this 'suggestion' however because more often than not， there's a very complex system of reasons why this isn't always possible to do so。 Finally， below are a few quotes and paragraphs that left an impact on me while reading the book:1。 Having been ignored- and dismissed - for so long， now suddenly everybody was interested in what life in a community like this entailed。 Most people despite their noble intentions， were just passing through on a short-lived expedition。 A safari of sorts， where the indigenous population is surveyed from a safe distance for a time， before the window on the community closes and everyone gradually forgets about it。 P。 xx2。 The campsite was a microcosm of what people united by a shared purpose could achieve with very little resources。 P543。 Trope = symbol， motif， image， analogy4。 There is a discrepancy at government level between the desires for the kind of society we want to live in and the resources that are allocated to help this happen and where they are directed。 Joe's comments are unusually frank in a sector where there is a culture of sweeping certain issues under the rug。 P785。 The minute the social deprivation agenda dried up in the media， there was no longer any need for me。 P1066。 Women， the LGBTQI community， ethnic and religious minorities and the disabled have fought for decades to be fairly represented and portrayed in education， the arts and the media。Everyone sees the world through their own particular lens， it will not surprise you， given the subjective nature of culture and identity， that I am going to make the argument that class， above all， remains the primary dividing line in our society。 P。 1237。 "The problem with our politics right now is none of us are doing it。 Its no good enough to go up the road after this event， thrilled at what's been said。 You've got to go and do it。" Robert Fullertone。Here if you want to challenge a racist its a little trickier than writing a blog or composing a condemnatory tweet- although all forms of resistance have their place。 P1438。 Its also important to resist making value judgements based solely on the language people use when expressing an opinion; when someone expresses what appears to be a racist opinion， there are several factors to be considered before that person can truly be dismissed as racist。On the contrary， its about engaging in a serious and robust way。 Patience， tolerance and cultural sophistication are needed as much as condemnation and moral outrage。 This approach means disengaging temporarily from our own sense of what is right and wrong and opening ourselves to the moral logic of people with whom we disagree。 P1519。 Ellie Harrison's project 'The Glasgow Effect' became shorthand for poverty。 The pertinent finding being a liink between the early years brain development of children living in poverty and the health conditions and precarious circumstances that often plague them later in life。 The report found that 'chronically activated stress responses， especially in children， affect the structure of the parts of the frontal lobes od rhe brain， and that these determine the physical reaction to stress， which could result in chronic ill health'。 Chief Medical Officer Harry Burns also suggested that the ability to attain good health depended， in part， on whether people felt in control of their lives， and whether they saw their environments as threatening or supportive。 P18410。 Today i realise that the most practical way of transforming my community is to first transform myself and， having done so， find a way to express how i did that to as many people as possible。 P20211。 You are no use to any family， community， cause or movement unless you are first able to manage， maintain and operate the machinery of your own life。 This doesn't mean that resistance has to stop。 Nor does it mean power， corruption and injustice shouldn't be challenged， it simply means that running parallel to all of that necessary action must be a willingness to subject one's own thinking and behaviour to a similar quality of scrutiny。 P202 。。。more
Laura Shaw
，
A thought provoking book that highlights some of the hurdles to progress in our society。 In a world of divisive opinions， this author discusses through his own experience of poverty how engaging with opinions and people we don't agree with might ultimately be the key to a more equal society。 You may not agree with his observations， but this book will make you reflect on society's problems and question your own outlook。 A thought provoking book that highlights some of the hurdles to progress in our society。 In a world of divisive opinions， this author discusses through his own experience of poverty how engaging with opinions and people we don't agree with might ultimately be the key to a more equal society。 You may not agree with his observations， but this book will make you reflect on society's problems and question your own outlook。 。。。more
Elise Thompson
，
Woah- what a beautiful literary surprise。 I thought this book was going to be interesting but I had no idea it would be so emotional too。
Kerry
，
DNF
Flora
，
A fascinating book， but frustrating， as it felt that every time the author made a good point， he would move immediately to the next thing rather than expanding on it。 Still worth a read though。
Francesca Sellors
，
Amazing book that changed my view on poverty and how it can be tackled。 Darren McGarvey manages to be an effective intellectual whilst remaining conscience and accessible， adding in a lot of self-reflection and emotional intelligence for good measure， too。
Thomas
，
I don’t agree with all of the authors critiques of current left wing politics but I think this is a really worthwhile book with a lot to say about poverty in the western world
Arrianne
，
I wonder if this book is better as a memoir and a guide to how to give a presentation to or work with people who either don’t share your point of view， don’t want to be there or take a dislike to you。 I didn’t think it was going to be just a ‘misery memoir’， which it isn’t， though he does talk a lot about his pretty grim upbringing。 The poverty and the violence are gruelling to read let alone have lived through， but he uses it both as a tool to legitimise himself as a voice to speak on how we be I wonder if this book is better as a memoir and a guide to how to give a presentation to or work with people who either don’t share your point of view， don’t want to be there or take a dislike to you。 I didn’t think it was going to be just a ‘misery memoir’， which it isn’t， though he does talk a lot about his pretty grim upbringing。 The poverty and the violence are gruelling to read let alone have lived through， but he uses it both as a tool to legitimise himself as a voice to speak on how we best tackle poverty and as a justification of his viewpoint on it not just being about system change （we’ll all be dead before that…） and individual responsibility （you can’t get yourself out of addiction without owning it and that’s what he did）。 I don’t agree with everything he says， but he’s an interesting voice and he certainly sounds like someone who could work with others to build consensus and bring about some real change rather than another middle class outside intervention doomed to failure because of poor planning or shifting governmental whims。CW: rape， alcohol and substance use， child abuse， violence， eating disorder。 。。。more
Gordon
，
A very interesting and challenging book。 McGarvey talks at one point about how the media loved to invite him on to "talk about his dead Mum" - to give a "misery memoir" about an abusive childhood and life in a deprived Glasgow community。 But as soon as he started giving his ideas about the causes of poverty they lost interest。 This book uses the one to enable the other: it uses stories as both illustrations and "hooks" to keep the reader interested， but it isn't primarily a memoir - he really do A very interesting and challenging book。 McGarvey talks at one point about how the media loved to invite him on to "talk about his dead Mum" - to give a "misery memoir" about an abusive childhood and life in a deprived Glasgow community。 But as soon as he started giving his ideas about the causes of poverty they lost interest。 This book uses the one to enable the other: it uses stories as both illustrations and "hooks" to keep the reader interested， but it isn't primarily a memoir - he really does want to talk about bigger issues， causes， and what to do about them。 Now I'm a privileged person who has never lived in anything like the conditions McGarvey describes but what he has to say makes a lot of sense and fits with other credible accounts， so I am taking it seriously。If you'll allow me a paraphrase， what he really wants is for his community to be _redeemed_ from poverty， neglect， and the self-serving bossing about by those who would help but not listen。 He loves his people and wants to purify them of their flaws （including， for example， racism and alchoholism） not to become middle class but to become what _they_ want and ought to be in their better moments。 He wants them _delivered_ from the child abuse and constant stress （especially around fear of violence） that trapped families like his in a multi-generational cycle of dysfunction。 He recognises the need for both social support AND personal moral responsibility for this to happen。He resents middle class people and do-gooders of all political stripes - but he also longs for reconciliation between classes， and acknowledges some of the positive help he received。 He's willing to confess his own prejudice in order to challenge the reader to examine their own。Finally， the book is angry about a whole range of injustice， but presented with such consistent personal humility and hope that it disarms resistance。 I've deliberately used words like "redeem"， "reconcile"， and "humility" from my Christian faith tradition - McGarvey doesn't speak like that。 But I do think what he wants is really not far from the mission of the church as it was traditionally understood， and that the One that really could bring about his dreams is not far from him。 It is a great shame that the church was not there in his community when he needed it。 I do have a powerful wish to sit him down with the ghost of William Booth， G。 K。 Chesterton and perhaps Dorothy Day， and let them have a good yak - that would be a conversation worth listening to。 。。。more
Jane
，
Part memoir and part social commentary， this book gives the reader a first hand look at the experience of poverty。 Darren McGarvey has experienced poverty， homelessness and addiction and as he got older he realized that it was no use blaming his past， family and surroundings， but that it was up to him to change within to improve things。 An interesting and thoughtful read。
Ruth Harwood
，
It may be set in Glasgow， but this book will strike a chord with many people， especially those who live in council property and live in the shadows of society， so to speak。It's written in a very conversational style， you can imagine the author sitting next to you narrating。 The topic is full of interesting observations， personal experience and the thought processes that lead us to where we end up， so to speak。 It made me want to find other books and essays on life for the majority， and also gave It may be set in Glasgow， but this book will strike a chord with many people， especially those who live in council property and live in the shadows of society， so to speak。It's written in a very conversational style， you can imagine the author sitting next to you narrating。 The topic is full of interesting observations， personal experience and the thought processes that lead us to where we end up， so to speak。 It made me want to find other books and essays on life for the majority， and also gave me a little push to take responsibility for my own life， as I'm in a bit of depressive slump， as many people are at the moment， and thinking about the situation at the moment， and the issues raised， together they do give a hint of the difficulties facing most people who live day to day， week to week。 If you've never been there， this book will give you an insight into human behaviour and society's limitations experienced by most。This is a book that highlights the lives and motivations of others， and possibly by the end， like me， you'll have a clearer insight into the reasons for your own behaviour， or that of those around you。 That in itself is something valuable， and the reason I give this book a 5* rating - it's readable and hits a nerve xx 。。。more
Jenny （bookishjenx）
，
There are definitely some flaws in this book （the editing was pretty bad for some reason？！？） but I loved it。 Insightful and a beneficial read for anyone interested in UK/Scottish social issues。
Sronti
，
I know where he is coming from， there are very strong parts in the book。 When he is writing about the people he knows， and about his own experience， those are great。 But when it comes to his ideas about what direction society should take， the lack of theoretical foundation becomes obvious。 Not that I don't agree with some parts of what he says， the book reminded me of this fundamental discrepancy between empowering people living in the bottom of society telling them they can change their lives， I know where he is coming from， there are very strong parts in the book。 When he is writing about the people he knows， and about his own experience， those are great。 But when it comes to his ideas about what direction society should take， the lack of theoretical foundation becomes obvious。 Not that I don't agree with some parts of what he says， the book reminded me of this fundamental discrepancy between empowering people living in the bottom of society telling them they can change their lives， while keeping them angry enough to still want systemic change。 But this problem has like a ton of literature and plenty of potential solutions。 The author doesn't mention them， because he never read about them， he starts from zero， and gets quite far on his own， but he could have gotten so much farther if he took the time to research and see what other people wrote on the topic he is talking about。 。。。more
Holly O'Donovan
，
I had high hopes for this book and feel completely let down。 Darren who is now in his 30s and appears to have begun to identify increasingly with the middle class， proceeds to gaslight the working classes by suggesting that it’s people’s individual responsibility to socially mobilise， and suggests that we don’t live in the increasingly hostile country that the left claim we do。 I understand his feeing that people have a responsibility to take personal accountability， and agree with this to a cer I had high hopes for this book and feel completely let down。 Darren who is now in his 30s and appears to have begun to identify increasingly with the middle class， proceeds to gaslight the working classes by suggesting that it’s people’s individual responsibility to socially mobilise， and suggests that we don’t live in the increasingly hostile country that the left claim we do。 I understand his feeing that people have a responsibility to take personal accountability， and agree with this to a certain extent， however I feel as though he is completely ignoring how society has changed since he was a child/teenager in the 1990s and 2000s and the devastating impact that the 2008 financial crash had on our society and the working/lower middle classes。 He neglects to illuminate the fact that jobs are increasingly scarce， that there have been huge budget cuts in schools and hospitals etc and that the working classes do not experience the same quality of services that they had even just 15 years ago。 One factor he seems to attribute this to is his personal experience of the benefits system in the 2000s， despite the fact that the benefits system has changed drastically since he was in his early 20s under the Tories。 I appreciate he does not enjoy reading and finds it hard to engage with books， although I would suggests he reads a few before writing his own next time。 The only thing I liked and appreciated about his book was his retelling of his lived experience growing up in Pollok。 Very weird book - would not recommend。 。。。more
Owen
，
Whatever your background， upbringing or status it's always worth reading or listening to Darren McGarvey。 Whatever your background， upbringing or status it's always worth reading or listening to Darren McGarvey。 。。。more
Lucy
，
While this book definitely has some shortcomings （structurally it’s pretty chaotic and some chapters dip very briefly into stories that feel like they deserve more attention， and I’m not sure what you end up with matches the way the book’s been marketed）， I would still recommend it。 It starts out as a personal memoir of addiction， childhood trauma and living in poverty， but later shifts into a broader discussion of polarisation between “left” and “right” factions of British politics。 The final 3 While this book definitely has some shortcomings （structurally it’s pretty chaotic and some chapters dip very briefly into stories that feel like they deserve more attention， and I’m not sure what you end up with matches the way the book’s been marketed）， I would still recommend it。 It starts out as a personal memoir of addiction， childhood trauma and living in poverty， but later shifts into a broader discussion of polarisation between “left” and “right” factions of British politics。 The final 3 chapters are particularly thought-provoking， and I admire Loki’s willingness to scrutinise his own （past） behaviour with brutal honesty， to question assumptions across the political spectrum and to challenge political stances （from blaming neoliberalism for everything to blaming the poor for being poor）， but without superiority or judgement。 。。。more
Maria Beltrami
，
It is quite difficult to comment on such a book， which is part essay， part autobiography。 Moreover， in many parts I felt directly involved: undeniably middle-class， because of my age and education I have been part of quite a few organizations and movements to 'eliminate poverty'， obviously in my country， Italy。 At a certain point， however， I realised that McGarvey's analysis was acute and penetrating， because I remembered that never had a real 'poor person' set foot in one of our gatherings， nev It is quite difficult to comment on such a book， which is part essay， part autobiography。 Moreover， in many parts I felt directly involved: undeniably middle-class， because of my age and education I have been part of quite a few organizations and movements to 'eliminate poverty'， obviously in my country， Italy。 At a certain point， however， I realised that McGarvey's analysis was acute and penetrating， because I remembered that never had a real 'poor person' set foot in one of our gatherings， never had they been the focus of attention。 Now， they say that you are born an arsonist and die a fireman， but I think that is the real purpose of this book: to make the many well-meaning people who want to "eliminate poverty" understand， before it is too late for any of them， that the only way to do this is to stand back and listen。 。。。more
Sue
，
Full of ideas about how to frame and contextualise the issue of poverty within politics and how that could shape possible solutions。 Its part "misery memoir" - which he explains is a framework he had to use in order to be more widely heard。 He advances explanations of why Brexit proved popular among the very people it was going to damage and why so many people feel so dis-enfranchised from any kind of power or influence。 The final part of the book focusses on how he tackled his own alcoholism an Full of ideas about how to frame and contextualise the issue of poverty within politics and how that could shape possible solutions。 Its part "misery memoir" - which he explains is a framework he had to use in order to be more widely heard。 He advances explanations of why Brexit proved popular among the very people it was going to damage and why so many people feel so dis-enfranchised from any kind of power or influence。 The final part of the book focusses on how he tackled his own alcoholism and becomes much more personal。 Although authentic and painful， this felt to me a bit disconnected from the broader focus of the main part of the book。 Worth a read as it has some interesting ideas which could be a challenge to your typical Guardian reader but taken as a whole its a bit short on political analysis and a bit too much weighed towards the idea that it lies within the power of the individual to set things right。 While taking responsibility for solving your problems is an excellent approach towards alcoholism， it leaves a lot of questions unanswered in a broader social and political context。 。。。more
Max Lübke
，
I really enjoyed reading McGarvey's Poverty Safari since working-class writers in English literary culture are obviously underrepresented and still struggle to gain a voice。 All the more interesting seems to be the new textual self-understanding of the （Scottish） working-class that McGarvey's formulates in his writing and how to deal with London literati and neoliberal voices that caricature working-class people as 'chavs'。 I really enjoyed reading McGarvey's Poverty Safari since working-class writers in English literary culture are obviously underrepresented and still struggle to gain a voice。 All the more interesting seems to be the new textual self-understanding of the （Scottish） working-class that McGarvey's formulates in his writing and how to deal with London literati and neoliberal voices that caricature working-class people as 'chavs'。 。。。more
Emily Burton
，
As a middle-class woman with almost every privilege apart from my gender， this was a truly eye-opening read。Poverty Safari explores the lives of people living in the poorest areas of Britain and the ways in which class divide us。 From governments to charitable organisations and the media， Darren McGarvey highlights the ways in which our class system is set up to benefit middle-class citizens and the impact this has on fragile communities already struggling with issues including violence and addi As a middle-class woman with almost every privilege apart from my gender， this was a truly eye-opening read。Poverty Safari explores the lives of people living in the poorest areas of Britain and the ways in which class divide us。 From governments to charitable organisations and the media， Darren McGarvey highlights the ways in which our class system is set up to benefit middle-class citizens and the impact this has on fragile communities already struggling with issues including violence and addiction。As a reader， there were elements of this book that made me feel uncomfortable。 McGarvey's attitude to those belonging to the middle-class is distrusting and negative， but that's exactly why I liked this book - it isn't afraid to point fingers and explain where the problems lie。 One aspect that I found particularly enlightening was the idea that we often look at poor communities from a 'hero' perspective， we think we know what is best despite not understanding many of the everyday struggles these same communities face。 For that reason， many government and charity schemes designed to benefit poorer communities actually fail， and only serve to increase the disparities between classes。It's easy to ignore the existence of poverty in Britain， but this book tells the honest and uncomfortable truth about poverty in our country。 I don't think everyone will enjoy this book， but I also think that is exactly why it is such an important book to read。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Poverty Safari
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Poverty Safari&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Poverty Safari&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0