Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream
Language: English
Published by SB Press, 2008
- Signed
- Softcover
- Used
Seller: Charles Berry, Bookseller, Lakeport, CA, U.S.A.Charles Berry, Bookseller
AbeBooks seller since March 5, 2026
Condition: Used - Fine
£ 6.17
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Softcover in excellent, near-pristine condition, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on the front endpaper. 235 pages. [10oz].
Seller Inventory # 43720
- Title
- Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream
- Author
- Adam Shepard
- Publisher
- SB Press
- Publication year
- 2008
- Condition
- Fine
- Signed
- Signed by Author(s)
- Book Type
- Book
- Binding
- Soft cover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0979692601
- ISBN 13
- 9780979692604
- Seller catalogs
- AAAPRIORITY, Personal Narratives
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
Adam Shepard graduated from college in the summer of 2006 feeling disillusioned by the apathy he saw around him and incensed after reading Barbara Ehrenreich's famous works Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch books that gave him a feeling of hopelessness over the state of the working class in America. Eager to see if he could make something out of nothing, he set out to prove wrong Ehrenreich's theory that those who start at the bottom stay at the bottom, and to see if the American Dream can still be a reality.
Shepard's plan was simple. Carrying only a sleeping bag, the clothes on his back, and $25 in cash, and restricted from using previous contacts or relying on his college education, he set out for a randomly selected city with one objective: work his way out of homelessness and into a life that would give him the opportunity for success. His goal was to have, after one year, $2,500, a working automobile, and a furnished apartment.
But from the start, things didn't go as smoothly as Shepard had planned. Working his way up from a Charleston, South Carolina homeless shelter proved to be more difficult than he anticipated, with pressure to take low-paying, exploitive jobs from labor companies, and a job market that didn't respond with enthusiasm to homeless applicants. Shepard even began donating plasma to make fast cash. To his surprise, he found himself depending most on fellow shelter residents for inspiration and advice.
Earnest, passionate, and hard to put down, Scratch Beginnings is a story that will not only inspire readers, but will also remind them that success can come to anyone who is willing to work hard and that America is still one of the most hopeful and inspiring countries in the world."
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Charles Berry, Bookseller
Lakeport, CA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since March 5, 2026
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 4 to 15 business days | 2 to 5 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 3.14 | £ 11.23 |
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Store description
I started selling used books in 1985 in Davis, California, and online in 1998. I enjoy the process of using language to fully describe the advantages and blemishes of each book. Language can capture details that a photograph might miss, but if you are visually-oriented, I am happy to send a photo--please include your phone number, since it is easier to send a picture via text than email. I am of "mature" years, but will continue to sell books as long as I am able: I enjoy it too much! I am a mere temporary custodian, sending each book to its ultimate shelf--the one where it is appreciated the most.…
Specialty
Non-fiction, specialized and obscureSeller's business information
Charles Berry, Bookseller
CA, U.S.A.
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