A Memoir of a Family and Culture In Crisis by J.D. Vance Understand Main TakeAways & Analysis

Just received this today. I had read the book, but wanted a refresher for a discussion of it next week. This book is incredibly poorly written. Grammar, punctuation errors, sentence fragments and sentences worded so poorly I just put the book down.
Get a copy of Vance's Ted Talk and read the book. Never heard of BriskReads, but barely made it through 40 pages. DON"T waste your money!

I was trying to buy the actual book. Somehow bought this, supposed that was my own fault, and thought I'd give it a try. Mistake. If you think this review isn't particularly well written, this purchase will drive you nuts.

I think this was either written by a computer summarization or a person just learning English. Many of the word choices were not even close, but I was able to get the intent of the book and it made me decide that I would like to read the real book.

I too was surprised with the grammar....or lack of it....in this summary. However, unlike all of the other reviews I just read, once the shock was over with, I settled in and was fascinated by the ride this took me on. We take grammar for granted. I was challenged to read between the lines here and capture the spirit, the love, the struggles portrayed..........it was delightful, I would love to know more about the person who did the summary. Thank you Companion Reads Team.

I think this is a book that is very important in thinking about our rural areas and the opioid crisis. Although there is evidence, in the author especially, of a character overcoming obstacles and hardships, the reality is most of the population suffers and doesn't see a way out. It's a sad story.

Excellent memoir! It is the book that I had planned on writing and he did it for me. I followed his story up and down and around with great personal and raw honesty with no holds barred. It is the "boy pulled self up by bootstrap story" - a feel good story told in gut-wrenching detail.
I LOVED it and could not put it down. I had the privileged to listen to J.D. tell the story himself by Audible tape with periods of reading the book when I had the time. Listening to J.D. tell his story in his own voice added to the tale and expressed his emotion of each event. I recommend this book to everyone; but particularly to people who have had an easy life. This IS the other side. This is MY side of life.

This is an interesting book for a discussion group to read. Well written personal story which the author draws too many generalizations from. I am intimately familiar with his Appalachian Scots-Irish roots and feel that the majority of the population to which he assigns a host of characteristics to just don't fit the description. But I do believe it works for the immediate area he comes from and others too. Just look at the states that have the most opioid abuse!
Everyone should read this who wants to understand why the White blue collar worker ( or non-worker) who lives in the rust belt voted for Trump!

In his book, the author attempts to explain the situation for working class whites who live in America’s Rust Belt, the hillbillies of the country etc. This also provides a comprehensive analysis of the book, outlining the main themes and the author’s background and writing style. Overall I enjoyed reading this book.

Take a look at the preview. This reads like a bad/rushed second-grader book report on a book that was way too advanced for his age... if that second-grader didn't actually read the book, and was just skimming the back cover at the last minute while winging the report... because he procrastinated and his efforts to get back to work were constantly interrupted by Pokemon GO hunts.

Vance provides a fascinating look into the lives of the white underclass, a group that gets very little attention currently. I appreciated his frank discussions of the economics facing his family and neighbors, as well as his descriptions of uncomfortable family events. His wisdom gained from surviving hardships is hard won, and he's able to put it in perspective for those of us who have not had similar experiences. Vance's sense of humor shines throughout the book.

One of the weirdest "books" ever published - seems like some 4th graders each took a chapter, skimmed it & counted the number of words they had to write. Fascinating contradicting thoughts & phrasings - at times amusing trying to figure out if it's all truly a spoof. Understandably, there is no credited "author." Avoid anything else from Brisk Reads.

Horrible. It is a poor translation in English of a foreigner's summary notes. The editor (?) has chosen wrong words in this translated edition in most sentences so I had to stop after the 2nd page. Laughable.