"Homeless at Harvard" is a memoir about a young man who lived among the homeless
community at Harvard Square to better understand homelessness. He was taking a
summer course at Harvard and had access to campus facilities, but he spent his
free time on the streets and he slept on the streets. Much of the book was about
his experiences on the street and about his childhood, but he also shared the
stories of some of his homeless friends and included some of their thoughts "in
their own words."
The writing was somewhat disjointed, though usually it
wasn't hard to follow. The author would start the chapter talking about an
experience he had while on the street--like learning to beg for money--and then
he'd jump to a story from his past or to some thoughts he had about how he
wasn't really homeless even though he was sleeping on the streets. Then he'd
continue the original story. He also sometimes contradicted himself or the
homeless people would--like someone said the homeless aren't all addicts or
mentally ill, yet a few chapters later someone said they were.
I don't
feel like I gained insight into why people are homeless, but I did learn some
things about homeless people. The homeless in Harvard Square only lacked for
homes--not food, not medical care, not alcohol or drugs, not lottery tickets,
not cell phones or grills or digital cameras. A few of those begging money even
had homes! Many were addicts. Even those who didn't think they were mentally ill
didn't have an accurate grasp of reality, though sometimes that appeared to be a
product of their upbringing. They had a very works-oriented, confused view of
God, and even the author didn't view God as sovereign (i.e. in control of
everything).
The author's conclusion was that spending time with the
homeless and treating them like people will do more good than giving them your
pocket change. The book didn't really show that to be true, but it is clear that
giving them money doesn't help so spending time is worth a try.
I
received this book as a review copy from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.
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