{"product_id":"bootstrapped-liberating-ourselves-from-the-american-dream-9780063028012","title":"Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn unsparing, incisive, yet ultimately hopeful look at how we can shed the American obsession with self-reliance that has made us less healthy, less secure, and less fulfilled \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe promise that you can \"pull yourself up by your bootstraps\" is central to the story of the American Dream. It's the belief that if you work hard and rely on your own resources, you will eventually succeed. However, time and again we have seen how this foundational myth, with its emphasis on individual determination, brittle self-sufficiency, and personal accomplishment, does not help us. Instead, as income inequality rises around us, we are left with shame and self-blame for our condition. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcclaimed journalist Alissa Quart argues that at the heart of our suffering is a do-it-yourself ethos, the misplaced belief in our own independence and the conviction that we must rely on ourselves alone. Looking at a range of delusions and half solutions--from \"grit\" to the false Horatio Alger story to the rise of GoFundMe--Quart reveals how we have been steered away from robust social programs that would address the root causes of our problems. Meanwhile, the responsibility for survival has been shifted onto the backs of ordinary people, burdening generations with debt instead of providing the social safety net we so desperately need.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInsightful, sharply argued, and characterized by Quart's lively writing and deep reporting, and for fans of \u003cem\u003eEvicted\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eNickel and Dimed, \u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eBootstrapped\u003c\/em\u003e is a powerful examination of what ails us at a societal level and a plan for how we can free ourselves from these self-defeating narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Alissa Quart\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Ecco Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/09\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780063028012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eQuart, Alissa:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlissa Quart \u003c\/strong\u003eis the author of four previous books of nonfiction, including \u003cem\u003eSqueezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eBranded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers, \u003c\/em\u003e and two books of poetry, most recently \u003cem\u003eThoughts and Prayers\u003c\/em\u003e. She is the executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and has written for many publications, including the\u003cem\u003e Washington Post\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eTime.\u003c\/em\u003e Her honors include an Emmy Award, an SPJ Award, and Nieman Fellowship. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43778328199283,"sku":"9.78006E+12","price":21.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/files\/img_afcbf3c1-6179-49fc-b332-02ddaec8a30d.jpg?v=1757508519","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/products\/bootstrapped-liberating-ourselves-from-the-american-dream-9780063028012","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}