Bootstrapped

Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream

By: Alissa Quart

Narrated by: Beth Hicks

An 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

The 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.

Acclaimed 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.

Insightful, sharply argued, and characterized by Quart’s lively writing and deep reporting, and for fans of Evicted and Nickel and Dimed, Bootstrapped 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.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Alissa Quart (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Wonderful listen

I love this book, I learned a lot of terms and vocabulary that I don’t understand the truth behind them. Working people of American keep pushing forward!

Enjoyed listening,learning!

I found this book very helpful in my own understanding of reality as I thought it was but had bought into the I did it My WAy version. Thank you

Informative, great progressive read by Ehrenreich once again

Dispels the American myth of that Dream we’ve all heard of and been indoctrinated into. Native Americans along with other minority groups haven’t been a part of it, and some of this book is why.

Excellent information on income and wealth inequality…

And solid solutions at the end that all of us can do to address in our communities.

Really appreciated the chapter on “safe made man” fiction, especially since I regrettably went through a Fountainhead-is-life-changing phase in my 20s. Now I know about the real Ayn Rand, Horatio Alger, Laura Wilder, etc. (Wish Ms. Quart had included Napoleon Hill!!)

A great look at an American myth

I always wondered where the bootstrap myth came from and why it felt to be everywhere. This book helped me understand it more deeply than I thought. From the origins to its modern-day use and how people are trying to combat it, it all gets covered.

Don’t be fooled…

This is NOT a political bias book. It is a very relevant real world analysis of human interdependence. Before you start to prattle your fallacious political acumens, first take a moment to think about how we are all dependent on one another in all of our achievements. Alissa Quart does a great job at breaking this down for all.

A delusional story

Unfortunately the author mistakes independence for self authorship and accountability. She seems to get carried away talking about a future where things are magically all better and we collectively aren’t in an important push to tackle the grand challenges of our day (e.g., climate change, authoritarianism). I think there are elements that are useful, but probably could be said more succinctly in an Atlantic article instead of a whole book.

Felt like it was written by Biden’s publicist

Author Can’t stop gushing about how progressive Biden is, and my head exploded when she cited min wage increases as proof