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American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare |
List Price: $25.95
Your Price: $17.13 |
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Product Info |
Reviews |
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Rating: Summary: Well-Written and Frustrating Look at Welfare Reform Review: American Dream chronicles the effects of the welfare reform bill on three women in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Deparle has done an excellent job of pulling together a history of black poverty and welfare, knocking down a number of shibboleths en route to his conclusion. No matter which side of the argument you find yourself, Deparle's research will probably undermine certain things you thought were true, and force you to rethink how to approach the brutally difficult problem of poverty in America.
American Drean is at turns inspiring, frustrating, and unsatisfying. The hard work and occasional successes of Deparle's subjects cannot fail to remind the reader of the amazing ability of humans to overcome obstacles placed in their path. The dismal job done by welfare, whether pre- or post-reform to actually help people will infuriate the reader, as even people who believe that government has no business trying to support the poor would like to see such programs that exist do well, and to see the poor given every opportunity to improve their lot. Ultimately, American Dream cannot help but be unsatisfying to the reader, because Deparle offers no false ending to his story: these women continue to struggle even today (George Will recently mentioned one of them in an op-ed piece), and their struggle will undoubtedly be with them to the end of their lives.
Deparle deserves credit for neither sugarcoating the problem nor penning a jeremiad. His story simply presents a collection of successes and failures, painted against the backdrop of welfare and welfare reform. American Dream notes the massive obstacles the poor face in attempting to break out of poverty, obstacles those of us in the middle class often have no familiarity with. Yet Deparle does not counsel hopelessness, nor does he forget to note what successes his subjects have.
Ultimately, however, the reader will be hard-pressed to finish American Dream without feeling the dull ache of wonder: America is supposed to be the land of opportunity, yet true success seems to reside just outside the reach of all too many people. Is there any way to reopen those doors? Deparle wisely leaves that to his readers. His contribution has been to bring a better understanding of the problems faced by America's poor to light, and for that Deparle deserves great credit. American Dream is by no means an upbeat work, but it is a very valuable one.
Rating: Summary: Balanced and Provoking Review: Even though I am an avid reader, I have never written a customer book review before. However, this book proved to be a thoroughly interesting read as well as a thoughtful and provoking look inside the lives of people most directly impacted by Welfare Reform - and served as a clear starting point for reflections. The descriptions of the activities within the beltway, as well as within the three women's homes, serve to bring `wonk' material to a very real level. With extraordinary (seven-years!) of personal and policy research, the book should be read by all who are involved in making and re-making human service policy, as well as those of us who vote for them.
Rating: Summary: Powerful insight and a great read Review: I have long been interested in social policy and the politics of welfare. That said, I don't read alot of books on the subject anymore--most don't justify the investment of time, attention and money. This book stands out because of Deparle's extraordinary ambition in tracing the roots of intergenerational poverty; his excellent analysis of a broad, complex subject; and his exceptional skills as a writer and storyteller. This book is a good read!
Rating: Summary: Jason should be cautious in trusting his "inside" sources Review: I was there while all this was going on...I worked inside the W-2 system in Milwaukee and I met Jason DeParle. Jason does not present an unbiased viewpoint here. In fact, he trusted some unethical and self-serving sources for his information about one of the service providers, and he disregarded certain information he received via interviews/discussions with W-2 employees. You know the old adage "Don't believe everything you read"? Keep it in mind as you read this book.
Rating: Summary: American Dream: A Triumph Review: In American Dream DeParle provides us with a historical overview of welfare policy from the signing of the Social Security Act in 1935 to the Signing of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Against this backdrop he interweaves the personal narratives of three single mom's who are trying to make their way on, through and off of welfare, while juggling the complexities of the social and political economy of welfare, work-fare (workfirst) and the warfare of the streets.
Trying to assess if we have, in fact, "ended welfare as we know it," DeParle boldly challenges the nation to push beyond its stereotypic one-dimensional view of welfare moms as largely African American, lazy, angry, single mothers eager to manipulate and get over on the system. Instead, DeParle does something really astounding...he tells us the truth-no filters, no screens, no smoke and mirrors, just the truth-a real picture of real women who are strong, and determined, and yes, angry, and also creative and frightened and proud and resilient. Women working really hard at trying to make sense of their own personal truth, their life experiences on welfare, and figuring out how to survive it. It's not necessarily a pretty picture, but it's a real picture, and it's an honest picture. And, for those who grew up in poverty and on welfare, it provides an opportunity to redeem their past with a sense of dignity and integrity. This is a must read for anyone interested in government, politics, welfare policy and the truth about life in the subculture of poverty in America.
Rating: Summary: Purchase this book today Review: Informed by his extensive experience covering domestic poverty, DeParle skillfully weaves the history, culture, voices and faces of an American family to insightfully breathe life into the statistics of welfare policies. His book is poignant in that it penetrates the intricacies of the Welfare-to-Work program and other social policies, while appropriately portraying traits of the human condition - traits that our policies reflect and depend on. American Dream will inspire you to question and probe further into the cross-cutting issues surrounding our nation's poverty - to become a more aware and socially responsible citizen (if you take the challenge). As a black American...as a friend, mentor and relative of former and present welfare recipients, I sincerely appreciate DeParle's assiduity and dedication to demystifying poverty, especially in marginalized communities. I applaud his commitment to sharing the challenges, courage and hope of the voices so often muffled by the superficiality and elitism dominant in our society today. With that said, Jason DeParle's American Dream is an essential (and entertaining) read for EVERYONE.
Rating: Summary: Thorough, well-researched, and thoughtful Review: Jason de Parle has constructed here an in-depth look at social policy and its effect on the lives of the urban poor during the late '90s and '00s. Thorough, thoughtful, well-researched, and not beholden to any ideological position, de Parle has examined all aspects of welfare and policy, including situating it in its historical context. His insights will both please and offend those of both liberal and conservative bents, which is a good sign that he's doing something right, and as he demonstrates how policy decisions set at the top do--and don't--impact those actually living them, the reader comes to know and feel for his informants. This is a good starting place for those interested in learning about social policy and welfare reform.
Rating: Summary: A Shift of Paradigm in Thinking About the "Poor" Review: This book was a real eye-opener. Following three women and their families over time allows the reader to really understand what it's like to live as a poor person. Oh, my, did I learn a lot! I learned that people on welfare are not helpless; that they're strong and resilient and resourceful...and NOT afraid. I learned that the welfare system is irretrievably broken, a bureaucratic morass that deserves to be bombed into oblivion so that we can start from scratch with something more humane and human-sized. I learned that you absolutely CANNOT live - and I mean REALLY live - on welfare alone or on the minimum wage alone. And I learned that we as a society must do something to save the kids and the men (and women addicted to drugs) who live within these systems.
This is a powerful story that will stay with you long, long after you finish reading it. The people are real, their lives are real. We've got to do better by them.
Rating: Summary: An incredible read on the impact of welfare reform Review: Two minutes after cracking open 'American Dream' you realize that Jason DeParle is a phenomenal writer. But even more important, he's got an incredible story to tell: the story of how welfare reform took on a momentum never before known in our country and how the changes it wrought impacted the lives of very real women and their families. In his book, DeParle asks the difficult questions: Has welfare reform improved the lives of families formerly on welfare? Has the experience of children seeing their mothers going to work had a positive influence on their lives? Has outsourcing the management of caseloads to for-profit companies proven to be a success? What can be done to motivate far more men to pursue well-paying jobs and remain an integral part of their children's lives? DeParle doesn't come up with any easy answers, though he tells the story of welfare reform and its impact in a powerfully compelling way -- from an historial standpoint, from a public policy standpoint and from the personal standpoints of those who sought work after their welfare benefits ran out. What I found most compelling were the very human portraits of the women he profiles -- Angie, Jewel and Opal. I was moved, educated and motivated by this book. Definitely a must buy -- and do go and share it with your friends and family.
Rating: Summary: If you care about poor women.... Review: You should read this book. I picked it up expecting it to be dry and boring. Most "policy" books are. But this one is anything but dry. Focused on the history of welfare reform, the author chose to frame the book around the lives of three poor women and their families. We see their struggles, their obstacles, and their hopes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in policy, politics, and poverty, but also to anyone who just cares about other human beings.
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