He probably didn’t realize inherent advantages to be a young college educated, good looking white male in a southern state. Also he is in a place with climate probably more conducive to homelessness than say, Minnesota ?

I don’t see how it counters Nickle and Dimed as the author was a middle aged woman who probably had certain limitations to what she could do for employment both physical limitations and standard discrimination.

He chose the right thing when a relative took ill by cancelling his “experiment” but could someone genuinely in that financial and social situation to that ?

I didn’t read the book but I wonder about how much of life is sheer luck, he wasn’t financially wiped out by crime or an illness.

The saying “if I can do it anyone can” is nonsense. There are advantages and disadvantages inherent in people and situations.

A more accurate statement would be “If I can do it then people with my educational background, opportunities, health, *and* luck can.”

I do agree the principle of the book is get off your back-side and make something of your life and it may be the necessary kick up the back-side some lazy middle-class 18-25 year olds might need. jus sayin

Still it’s nice to know that just five years ago a salesman at the company I work for told me he’d quit if I were to ever be the one signing his paychecks.

He’s still a salesman, I’m the V.P. He hasn’t quit yet.

College degree or not, anyone can be successful like this. My success story starts before I even took my first class in college. I went from food stamps to nearly a millionaire (current market conditions have been rough) in a dozen years. Can be done by anyone.

I would suggest this book to everyone and anyone. If you can’t afford it, email the author he’s promised to send the ebook for free (don’t know if that offer still stands). But get it anyway you can.

I’ve signed up with a number of day labor agencies with no success – the ones I’ve signed up with have large surpluses of unneeded workers; I wasted a lot of time hanging around their offices with a bunch of other guys waiting for nonexistent work.

It’s common practice for these agencies to pay by check and charge $1 to get paid in cash; many day laborers, limited to crummy work, come in only when they have an urgent financial need, on which the agency makes an extra buck (literally).

The best story I’ve read so far is one in which he tells off an exploitative owner of a baby clothing store.

The book is flying off the shelves at the bookstore I went to.

The author of Scratch Beginnings was a healthy, single, young, college educated white male. Thats not the face of homlessness. I’m sure his road wasn’t as hard as many of his peers. But still it should be an interesting experiement to read about.

Jim

Although for a general audience, it’s also great that his site shows how to integrate the book into a high school curriculum, where it could have a quite an impact.

Thanks again.

I think his college education wasn’t significant but the other skills were – goal setting, critical thinking, and project management are always crucial to success in anything. Did college help that? Perhaps. But I think whether he went to college had no bearing on how attuned his skills were. The fact that he decided to embark on this project in the first place shows he’s not your typical person, so in that vein it might be unrealistic.

I wonder, though–does the book take an “if I can do it, anyone can, approach?” Adam starts with $25, but he also starts with a college education (based on his bio–maybe he wrong the book before Merrimack). How crucial are his project management, goal setting, and critical thinking skills to his overall success? Not necessarily saying that those who aren’t college educated don’t pick up (or have) those skills, but university absolutely enhances them quickly.

Overall, thanks for the post–will absolutely check out the rest of the book.