Troubled

A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class

By: Rob Henderson

Narrated by: Rob Henderson

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

In this “affecting…intriguing…heartbreaking” (Booklist) coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities, and pioneering the concept of “luxury beliefs”—ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class while inflicting costs on the less fortunate.

Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. But divorce, tragedy, poverty, and violence marked his adolescent and teen years, propelling Henderson to join the military upon completing high school.

A “vivid, insightful, poignant, and powerful” (Nicholas A. Christakis, author of Blueprint) portrait of shattered families, desperation, and determination, Troubled recounts Henderson’s expectation-defying young life and juxtaposes his story with those of his friends who wound up incarcerated or killed.

As he navigates the peaks and valleys of social class, Henderson finds that he remains on the outside looking in. His greatest achievements—a military career, an undergraduate education from Yale, a PhD from Cambridge—feel like hollow measures of success. He argues that stability at home is more important than external accomplishments, and he illustrates the ways the most privileged among us benefit from a set of social standards that actively harm the most vulnerable.

©2024 Rob Henderson (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

a terrifying threat to progressive world view b.s.

the last couple chapters are a powerful commentary on how shallow and full of confusion the left is. the authors writing is insightful and tough/fearless and humble....
I expect he'll be on joe rogan and meygan kelly podcasts someday. so deserving of all the attention. stay strong rob...

Surprisingly good

I normally just listen to business books but I saw the author on someone’s show. His background is similar to mine so I was intrigued. If you ever were poor and then joined a higher class, this will resonate with you.

No kool-aide for the author

I’m a good bit older than Rob but have a very similar story. I was not in foster care but had an abusive dad until a separation and then with a single mom that worked two jobs. The thought of being in the foster care system scared me. Not having a dad made me a great dad. You chose to break the generational curse as I did. So glad you avoided the kool-aide of the Ivy League school.
Two things I take issue with. First, college is not the only path to success. Trade school and a disciplined work ethic will easily move one into the 25% that earn over $100k. The plumbers snd electricians that I know are closer to $200k annually.
I kept waiting for some credit for Mrs Martinez in helping you to learn chores and the discipline in getting them done. Though not a loving person she appeared to be a reliable DI for a troubled boy. Great narration and 1.1 speed is perfect.

Raw

Recommend for all, especially the so-called elites.
Probably unintended, but he helped me with some of my frustrations associated with today’s Elitist views on social norm.

Real Life Testimony

Mr. Henderson has some very compelling stories to tell … ones we should all be more familiar with.

Message/Story

Rob does a really good job of not only telling you a story but by also taking traumatic experiences and learning from them and making them useful for others to learn from. This isn’t a book about overcoming tremendous setbacks, it’s a a book about the importance of nurturing families and the power of the family unit.

Inspiration meets social insight

I've been a big fan of Rob Henderson since I first saw a conversation he had with Chris Williamson on luxury beliefs. I was excited to read his first book, but was a little confused by its premise being far more personnel and far less academic than I had expected of him. The book is fascinating—the majority of the book is a retelling of the tragic childhood Rob had, but the last hour or so focuses on his insights into social class that he gained from moving up from the bottom of the social hierarchy all the way up to the prestigious place he eventually got to. My childhood was far from idyllic, but seeing what extreme adversity actually looks like was an inspiration that I could relate to, but that put my own childhood into perspective. Rob's insights at the end into social class and luxury beliefs were as thought provoking as I've come to expect from his work, but hit home all the harder for having heard his personal experiences prior to getting to hear the conclusions he draws. Would highly recommend—particularly for people who had a happy, sheltered childhood and have never experienced life on the other side of the tracks.

Well done first book.

The first few hours feel more like catharsis for the author as much as him explaining the background. The final few hours are more focused on sociological analysis, which is what I really wanted to hear.

A beautiful and important memoir for our times

Well written and well read by the author, Troubled is an excellent memoir and an important testament to the critical role that families play in our broader social challenges.

Captivating

Clear-headed, captivating, and thought provoking. Great commentary on elite school thinking. Highly enjoyable read.