This book brings some very important topics to the table (inequality, the opioid crisis, mass incarceration, education, health disparities, affordable housing), but while reading I frequently found myself a bit distracted. January 14th 2020 He has written an op-ed column for The New York Times since November 2001 and is widely known for bringing to light human rights abuses in Asia and Africa, such as human trafficking and the Darfur conflict. The book has many other word choice issues beyond these and even, at times, placed commas haphazardly. . 15ish. But beating vividly in Tightrope's background is an enduring belief in the promise of America. Two is that much of the word choice is so poor it often simply comes off as offensive or else thoughtless and unpolished. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0 . Education. But the litany of policy failures they describe will already be familiar to most readers: The war on drugs, over-criminalization, high health-care costs and inadequate schools are not breaking news, and too often, the powerful stories Kristof and WuDunn offer are buried in a blizzard of statistics and policy cliches. Gary had had virtually no education and could barely write his name.” But he found “a good union job . If you are politically literate stay away from this book, it’s economical analyses are trash. You’ll also find a litany of possible solutions to the problems they expose. It centers around the town of Yamhill OR and the people that Kristof grew up among. If you wonder what’s gone wrong in America and why our society is so deeply divided, you’ll find a lot of the answers in Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn‘s brilliant new book, Tightrope. Tightrope has many powerful moments and statements. The problem is that most ordinary Americans live their lives one small step away from catastrophe. Dee Knapp, an Oregon woman, … is like a stroll along a wide, smooth path, forgiving of missteps.” Lost jobs, breakups, medical bills, even brushes with addiction and crime aren’t necessarily catastrophic; money buys second (and third, fourth and fifth) chances. He develops diabetes and injures his back; he can’t pay child support, so he loses his driver’s license. This book should be required reading. Tightrope is effectively a sequel to Mawer’s The Girl Who Fell from the Sky. Kristof and WuDunn write in an approachable, empathetic manner, personalizing these topics with stories. Unemployed, depressed and angry, he starts drinking. These errors built up and annoyed the hell out of me- if you’re well read on political theory it may bother you too. This hits the nail absolutely on the head. Grateful this was written. Additionally, they sometimes cite facts that seem vague and don’t bring real substance to their arguments. Buy Tightrope by Mawer, Simon from Amazon's Fiction Books Store. We need to help kids early on.” O n February 27th, Thomas Koenig was joined by Nicholas Kristof for a conversation about Mr. Kristof’s book Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, which was released in January of 2020.Mr. Some make it across, but for so many, one stumble and that’s it.” Poor and working-class Americans start out with countless disadvantages, and the social safety net that ought to help them recover from missteps has been systematically slashed by 50 years of mean-spirited social policy — even as corporations and the wealthy have enjoyed steadily growing government subsidies and a steadily more permissive regulatory environment. By 2019, all but one of Dee Knapp’s children would be dead: Farlan, “a talented wood-carver and furniture maker,” died of “liver failure from drink and drugs.” Zealan “burned to death in a house fire while passed out drunk. Jennifer Garner as a narrator was simply fabulous for me. The author touches upon many societal issues that are plaguing modern day America, including but not exclusive to 1) the lack of family planning that contributes to unplanned pregnancies that inevitably led to broken careers and child poverty, 2) the systematic way pharmaceutical companies conduce medical professionals to prescribe massive amount of pain medications that turn normal hardworking people to addicts, and 3) the expensive medical, legal, and administrative systems that only tax the poor and trap exactly those who need the resources the most in a never-ending kafkaesque, punitive, repetitive state of reality. I wasn't sure what this book was going to be, but having worked with society in one form or the other for over 40 years, I wanted to see if what I thought about many issues I saw were factual. The best thing about Tightrope, an inspiring-but-frustrating book, is that it brings us up close and personal with America’s working class and poor: not as voyeurs, but as neighbors. “One of the reasons our anti-poverty efforts in America don’t do better is we start too late. The personal stories in “Tightrope” are, variously, wrenching and inspiring: From Yamhill to Baltimore, New York, Texas and Boston, Kristof and WuDunn offer narratives of those who have triumphed against the odds (children from stable, loving families that place a high value on education — like Kristof’s and WuDunn’s — are more likely to make it) as well as the painful stories of those who have been slowly ground down. Medicare.”. (“There are no magic wands.” “We as citizens must . The writing feels superficial. Kristof and WuDunn’s book is about the death of the American Dream. I want showing, not telling. In contrast, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” a perennially popular graduation gift, features a chipper, self-actualized little white fellow who is definitely on the path to greatness: Perhaps, then, the Seussian epigraph is ironic: While the men and women whose stories are told by Kristof and WuDunn also start off with brains in their heads, they mostly find themselves, unlike Seuss’s unnamed hero, steering straight into brick walls and catastrophic collisions. It’s not a happy scene: Dee hides outside as Gary fires drunkenly into the night, and she prays he won’t take his rage out on any of their five young children. He has written an op-ed column for The New York Times since November 2001 and is widely known for bringing to light human rights abuses in Asia and Africa, such as human trafficking and the Darfur conflict. I was presently surprised at how personal the author made the book to his hometown and life, by delving into specific family members and friends. The author introduces the story with a brief prologue which I almost skipped but it turned… Nathan burned to death when the meth he was making exploded.” Dee’s only surviving child, Keylan, was recognized by his grade school as a math prodigy, but he ended up spending 13 years in prison and emerged with HIV and hepatitis. hold all politicians’ feet to the fire.” We must “nurture understanding, empathy and a willingness to offer helping hands.”). It's insightful, depressing, yet still ultimately hopeful. "Tightrope is a heroic, harrowing, and at times tender look at the high wire act that is survival for too many people today. But it is a vivid and personable tale of the current state of affairs. Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn has an overall rating of Positive based on 8 book reviews. But I have no doubt that education is what is going to separate those that will succeed from those who will not... but I am heartbroken that our country is 61st. When I saw this book on BOTM, I prepared to bore myself with a "textbook like" analysis of the state of America today. This book was extremely eye-opening. I picked up Tightrope by Amanda Quick to fulfill the book by an author with your same first name prompt of our 2020 reading challenge. More children die each year in the United States from abuse and neglect than from cancer. This is a powerful book about where America has gone way, way wrong. This book brings some very important topics to the table (inequality, the opioid crisis, mass incarceration, education, health disparities, affordable housing), but while reading I frequently found myself a bit distracted. He becomes obese. Tightrope, the latest book from New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof and former Times business editor Sheryl WuDunn, starts off with a horror story. We’d love your help. . ok so first of all i have to say this book contains exceptional reporting. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. . There. It’s difficult to tackle the heart wrenching topics introduced in this book and I applaud the authors for shedding insight on them but this was an extremely painful read for me. Tightrope’s greatest strength is its exaltation of the common person’s voice, bearing expert witness to troubles that selfish power has wrought.” —Sarah Smarsh, The New York Times Book Review “[Tightrope] may well be the timeliest and most engrossing work of nonfiction this year.”—Newsweek “Shocking. There is also some awkward wording throughout. A stable home environment seems to be a major factor, increasing the likelihood that they will graduate from high school, avoid drugs, stay employed, and keep out of trouble with the law. Kristof, who himself grew up in rural America, describes the lives of his schoolmates and neighbors in a way only someone from such a background could possibly express. “And will you succeed?” Seuss asks the protagonist in “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” But for the well-heeled, it’s a largely rhetorical question: Nice odds, if you can get them, but the Kevins of the world generally can’t. Tightrope, like other books exploring poverty in America, is at its best in describing human interest stories with real empathy and compassion. The solutions sections was also not great in my opinion--they just put out a list of ideas and none of them included real structural changes. And a great book should lead me on a journey to figure out what it wants me to learn, not just straight up tell me how I should think and feel. What's confounding is that these same officials are often anti-abortion, yet they don't seem to understand that preventing unplanned pregnancies will reduce abortions. This book is incredibly well researched. It's insightful, depressing, yet still ultimately hopeful. Kevin gets a worse job, and when that company also goes bust, so does Kevin. “Tightrope” is extensively researched, with 20 pages of source notes at the conclusion of the 20 chapters that form the main narrative. But there is nothing humorous about the opening vignette. There were countless over generalizations and was overall extremely unorganized. These same officials then thunder about the irresponsibility of girls who get pregnant, oblivious to their own irresponsibility.”, Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2020). From the publisher: An unconventional woman and a man shrouded in mystery walk a tightrope of desire as they race against a killer to find a top secret invention in this novel from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick. The authors inform us that their main goal is to “tell stories” rather than explore “policy alternatives,” because only storytelling is likely to convince conservatives that the woes of the working class can’t just be chalked up to personal irresponsibility. The Trump administration even tried to cut off funding for a teen pregnancy prevention program (lawsuits forced it to continue that funding). Tightrope’s greatest strength is its exaltation of the common person’s voice, bearing expert witness to troubles that selfish power has wrought.” —Sarah Smarsh, The New York Times Book Review “[Tightrope] may well be the timeliest and most engrossing work of nonfiction this year.” —Newsweek “Shocking. In my Dad's generation, he wouldn't go to high school reunions because most of his classmates died in Vietnam, so, you know, maybe being poor isn't the worst thing. This information about Tightrope shown above was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. I am a long-time reader of Nicholas Kristof's articles in the New York Times and I have read Half the Sky by Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. If ever you wanted an upgrade in your ability empathize, and understand your fellow humans, or insight into how to be of better help, particularly in the United States, please read this book, and if you've never thought you needed either of these things, perhaps it is more crucial that you read it. the authors connect long and short stories + concepts seamlessly and i ended up highlighting so many different lines of elegant analysis. . It gave me a lot to think about with regards to poverty, drugs, obesity, etc in America. He has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to 150 countries. died from hepatitis linked to her own drug use. I agree with many of their arguments but the writing was so awful I had to skim through some parts. This book landed itself in my DNF pile at page 81 at halfway down the page. “For those from lower on the socioeconomic spectrum,” write Kristof and WuDunn, “life resembles a tightrope walk. Book Review: Tightrope by Amanda Quick. Pulitzer Prize winning couple write a gut wrenching account of how America has ultimately failed it's people in the last half century through the lens of author Nicholas D. Kristof's hometown, Yamhill and a few other US locations. Tractors and cars. The intended audience for “Tightrope” isn’t clear. Political & 1-sided....thereby hindering honest, open dialogue as a country to find solutions for bettering America's challenges. overall, tldr i recommend! . What hope? The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. I wasn't sure what this book was going to be, but having worked with society in one form or the other for over 40 years, I wanted to see if what I thought about many issues I saw were factual. You’ll also find a litany of possible solutions to the problems they expose. Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof take a look at America's problems today with jobs that don't pay well, drug difficulties, the lack of a safety net, and poverty, and they start in their own backyard, looking at people they know personally. For the affluent, Kristof and WuDunn observe, “life’s journey . i must say at times, reading this book felt slightly voyeuristic, like fulfilling a. ok so first of all i have to say this book contains exceptional reporting. Tightrope could be the playbook for an activist Secretary of Health and Human Services in a progressive future administration. For every child who dies, thousands are injured, raped or brutally abused. The author touches upon many societal issues that are plaguing modern day America, including but not exclusive to 1) the lack of family planning that contributes to unplanned pregnancies that inevitably led to broken careers and child poverty, 2) the systematic way pharmaceutical companies conduce medical professionals to prescribe massive amount of pain medications that turn normal hardworking people to addicts, and 3) the expensive medical, legal, and a. Amy Steele, book reviews, book reviews by Amy Steele, historical fiction, literary fiction, Simon Mawer, Tightrope, WWII This entry was posted on December 7, 2015, 00:54 and is filed under Books . Much of the information in this book is devastatingly sad, nobody wants to hear that the country they love is not as great as you want to believe. i must say at times, reading this book felt slightly voyeuristic, like fulfilling a grotesque curiosity i was almost ashamed of — but not enough to offset its grip. by Knopf Publishing Group. He has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to 150 countries and all 50 states. A twisty, eccentric novel of Machiavellian intrigue unravels slightly in the resolution, but fans of the author’s previous works (Pictures in the Dark, 1996, etc.) The florid prose and effusive praise of Wu and Zhou Enlai sometimes detract from the book’s more gripping content, which includes the vicissitudes of Wu’s personal life. The book also continues the incorrect but often used idea that “America is a democracy” despite the fact that America is a republic and not a pure democracy. “Tightrope” is earnest and oddly endearing, but often slightly muddled; the authors want to speak to conservatives as well as liberals, but they can’t quite pull off their own balancing act. It's an enlightening and ultimately inspiring book. The next day, I went out to a local bookstore and bought the book. Additionally, they sometimes cite facts that seem vague and don’t bring real substance to their arguments. I had so much hope for this book but it came off as pandering to centrists with no regard for political accuracy or deep investigation. Nicholas Kristoff went back to the farming community of Yamhill, Oregon to follow up with all of the children on the Route Number 6 School Bus that he had grown up with. This book should be required reading. It’s a departure from my usual fantasy selections, but sometimes a mystery is just what the doctor ordered. Perhaps this is because their opening epigraph from “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” is incomplete. The book’s first chapter begins in a town with a fittingly Seussian name: Yamhill, Ore., Kristof’s childhood home. Tightrope could be the playbook for an activist Secretary of Health and Human Services in a progressive future administration. . This book is incredibly well researched. 286 reviews An historical thriller that brings back Marian Sutro, ex-Special Operations agent, and traces her romantic and political exploits in post-World War II London, where the Cold War is about to reshape old loyalties If you wonder what’s gone wrong in America and why our society is so deeply divided, you’ll find a lot of the answers in Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn‘s brilliant new book, Tightrope. “For … In her feisty debut book, Oluo, essayist, blogger, and editor at large at the Establishment magazine, writes from the perspective of a black, queer, middle-class, college-educated woman living in a “white supremacist country.” I do not feel this book is about Americans reaching for hope at all. And why do so many working-class Americans, both black and white, remain so ready to believe that their problems stem mainly from failures of personal responsibility?”, Undaunted by these unresolved questions, Kristof and WuDunn offer readers an upbeat appendix: “Ten Steps You Can Take in the Next Ten Minutes to Make a Difference.” (“Try supporting education for at-risk kids,” or “Consider volunteering at a homeless shelter.”) Readers are also urged to harness their book clubs to “tackle one issue,” because, Kristof and WuDunn note brightly, “it’s always more fun to tackle problems together.”. despite an optimistic subtitle, most of the book’s narratives have a grim arc, which makes it a somewhat demoralizing but compelling read about an america i always knew existed but doubt i’ll ever meet. Or WuDunn, the daughter of poor Chinese immigrants who likewise soared to Harvard and the Times? If you already do not think that, these arguments seemed really patronizing to the people. The couple was able to buy their own home, and their five children all attended school. I wanted in-depth look at each of these people, but instead we just get a paragraph or two, followed by an info dump of facts and are then told what to think, which isn't my preferred style for this type of subject. There are lots of personal stories and photos that really hammer down HOW these policies really affect many Americans. Television. At times it reads a bit like something written by an AP high school student. . Book Summary The Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of the acclaimed, best-selling Half the Sky now issue a plea--deeply personal and told through the lives of real Americans--to address the crisis in working-class America, while focusing on solutions to mend a half century of governmental failure. Like the couple’s earlier bestseller, Half the Sky, the book pairs deeply entrenched social problems with imagi. Do yourself a favor and read this book before you vote! To see what your friends thought of this book. Then pass on this book to everyone you know!!!! This book is written by 2 authors who are wanting the US government to coddle and hand out hope to those less fortunate. Kristof and WuDunn’s book, Tightrope – Americans Reaching for Hope, spent some weeks on bestseller lists.Kristof is a well known reporter and writer for the NYTimes. But Kristof and WuDunn feel they must cite an academic expert for this insight (“Harvard’s David Ellwood”), and by its final chapter, “Tightrope” turns into a laundry list of standard liberal policy recommendations. There were many points throughout that I felt I was reading a middle schooler’s research paper filled with irrelevant quotes and random studies that did not support the argument the writers were trying to make. Tightrope, like other books exploring poverty in America, is at its best in describing human interest stories with real empathy and compassion. 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