Alissa Quart has written a fantastic brief history of the US brand of individualism and the ways in which it is harmful - while also providing solace by introducing methods by which the damages caused by this ideology may be healed.

Bootstrapped unravels the origins of the self-made myth and ultimately argues for a shift from stubborn independence to interdependence utilizing historical examples and quotes from interviews with individuals from across a variety of economic backgrounds. This book was written in an accessible and enjoyable way and does not come across as overly academic, which often makes nonfiction writing more enjoyable and easier to consume.

The first half of the book took me a while to get through simply because of how frustrating the legacy of US "bootstrapping culture" is. However, I think this speaks to how well the damages done by this way of thinking is communicated in the writing. The last portion of the book provides much needed possible solutions to deal with the problems caused by such strong individualist cultural norms, e.g., mutual aid.

The deconstruction of US individualism, "bootstrapping," and self-made narratives in this book was refreshing to read. The background of how US individualism has come to be what it is today was enlightening. I highly recommend this book to anyone feeling the struggle of living in the US today. It may help readers better understand why things are the way they are (in part), and that it is possible that such things could be made better. Times are hard, but there is hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my review.

Bootstrapped is an insightful read exploring the American dream, independence and inter-independence. While some of the topics would benefit with more discussion, I found some useful talking points when engaging with others on this topic.

ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alissa Quart's forthcoming book Bootstrapped swims against the tide of "fierce independence" in America. And it is a forceful tide. Politicians, teachers, writers, and every day parents pass on the story of America as a place where "if you work hard and play by the rules you can make it". From the "self-made" millionaires and billionaires like Bezos and Musk to the viral stars of TikTok and YouTube, success in America is largely seen as coming only from hard work and innate intelligence or skill.

But, as Quart points out at length, these stories are just that -- stories. At best they are fairy tales and at worst outright lies. No one has ever really been "self-made". Elon Musk's family made millions exploiting people in South Africa, Jeff Bezos started Amazon with hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment from his family, etc. In Quart's final chapter, she even calls on us to examine our own successes and to understand and publicly acknowledge the support and interdependence that got us where we are. No one stands alone, but in America there is a toxic mythology of "pulling one up by their bootstraps" that poisons the possibility of communal success.

Bootstrapped is split into four major parts: 1) examining the myth of being "self-made", 2) exposing hypocrisies in so-called "self-made" people, 3) showcasing the hardships of everyday people on the wrong end of the "self-made" myth, and 4) giving us a whirlwind tour of the possibilities of communal success (from mutual aid societies to co-ops to "Patriotic Millionaires"). It's a good structure and it builds on itself to the conclusions that Quart wants us to take away: 1) that the "self-made" myth is a lie and 2) that we can all be better off if we learn to rely on each other (both within our communities and through broad social policy).

Bootstrapped is well-researched, but not academic. In fact, Quart uses an everyday vocabulary that makes the work really accessible. However, sometimes that fights against her. The book isn't entirely rigorous about the origins of the mythology of independence in America, instead picking well-known examples and deconstructing them. A significant portion of the first part is spent on Horatio Alger, for example, since his name is so apt to come up in referring to "self-made" people. But there are plenty of pre-colonial English intellectual traditions and earlier works that surely contributed to this myth in America. This is intentional, though. Quart is aiming this book at a more mass audience and doesn't fall into the trap of turning the book into a complete intellectual history of American libertarianism -- I think that's one of the book's biggest successes.

Quart focuses a lot on hypocrisy to deconstruct some of the mythmaking, which didn't always land for me. Pointing out that Henry David Thoreau actually had guests and help while living on Walden Pond is interesting revisionism, but it doesn't necessarily undermine the intellectual arguments he was making. Quart is on much more solid territory in pointing out the rank hypocrisy of calling the family in Little House on the Prairie "independent" when they were giving their property by the federal government (which had stolen it from indigenous peoples). If you're looking for a sustained, academic argument against these intellectual threads, you're not going to find that in Bootstrapped. What you will find are solid rhetorical jabs that are a very welcome counterpunch to the traditional narrative.

Occasionally the chapters feel like essays written in isolation (especially when Quart mentions the same fact twice, like a Pew survey or the Amazon organizing in Bessemer, as if they hadn't been referenced earlier). I did feel like I wished there was more of a narrative thread to the book or recurring characters that Quarts was interviewing and following. On the other hand, but being more isolated, each chapter can stand a bit on its own as a statement. It's a hard balancing act, and I felt like it was weighted a bit too much toward essays.

As an Elizabeth Warren Democrat, I'm obviously biased in favor of many of the policy proposals in this book. For example, I think a wealth tax is sorely needed in this country. What Quart brings to the table is powerful rhetorical arguments to counter the narrative of "well, those rich people earned that money all on their own". No, they didn't. They had vast amounts of help from their families, their country, and the workers they exploit. People aren't "self-made" and no one can pull themselves up by their own bootstraps -- the metaphor itself is nonsensical.

And that leads to my final point, and the biggest thing that Quart missed the mark on. The "bootstraps" metaphor is literally the name of this book. While Quart does a superior job of deconstructing it and showing what is possible if we see the value in our shared connections, she doesn't offer an alternative metaphor. Quart clearly understands the power of the "bootstrapping" myth as rhetoric and takes pains to undermine it. What I really wanted, though, was a competing metaphor or story that I could use when pushing back against this narrative myself. I think the lack of that narrative framework holds this book back as a piece of activism, even though it absolutely succeeds as a piece of nonfiction and reporting.

I agree with much of what the author had to say. However, I am not sure that there is enough content here to warrant an entire book. I found it growing repetitive as I read through the whole thing. Read a few pages and you easily can get the gist of the book.

Is it just my imagination or is chasing the American dream downright exhausting?

There's something exhilarating about Alissa Quart's "Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream," a no-holds-barred exploration of the American obsession with self-reliance and how that has turned us, instead of actually being self-reliant, into a society that is less equal, less healthy, less fulfilled, and productive.

Quart, an acclaimed journalist and author of "Evicted" and "Nickel and Dimed," starts from the central concept that we've been raised as Americans with the false promise that we can all pull ourselves up by the "bootstraps" as we strive for the American dream. According to Quart, it's a false and unrealistic belief that leads to shame and self-blame when the forces outside ourselves work against us and many of us are left trying to pull up our bootstraps without possessing a pair of boots or straps.

As a double amputee without feet, I can definitely identify with not having boots. Ya know?

I've long said that as a paraplegic/double amputee, I've grown up more embracing of the idea of interdependence and a belief that we all need each other. I've long believed that our community functions better when we move away from self-reliance and into a space of intertwining responsibility for one another.

Thus, I guess you could say that Quart is definitely preaching to the choir with me. While I certainly have dreams, I've enthusiastically rejected the central American dream that stresses hyper-capitalism and a sense of independence that is for the most part false anyway. As someone with a disability, even terms like "independent living" turn me off as I believe a communal responsibility and accountability is a healthier way to live and leads to happier, healthier, more productive, and more peaceful communities.

Having this resonance with Quart's argument also, somewhat inevitably, means that I was somewhat familiar with a good majority of the material presented in "Bootstrapped." This may very well have hindered my appreciation for the book, thus a 4-star instead of a 5-star rating, but certainly not my appreciation for the actual arguments Quart makes.

Quart looks at a variety of delusions, half-solutions, myths, and other ideas including the simple concept of "grit," the false Horatio Alger story, and the incredible rise of crowdfunding in exploring the impact of an increasingly burdened population tasked with solving comprehensive life problems and accumulating massive debt while the government fails in its basic responsibilities of providing a sound social structure in areas like education, healthcare, and others.

"Bootstrapped" is ultimately a passionate call to release ourselves from the burdens of the American Dream and instead to lean into a stronger community invested in the mutual common good. "Bootstrapped" may be grounded in many ways within Quart's own lived experiences, however, it's also a remarkably well researched book with references and sources equally nearly 20% of the entire book.

There are brief moments in "Bootstrapped" when it seems as if the central argument gets lost within the illustrations and when I longed for a more research-based argument to support basic assertions. For example, I'd love actual studies indicating the impact of self-reliance vs. those communities or programs that operate more from a common good or, in essence, the proof to support the effectiveness of the argument. However, these are minor quibbles for a book I embraced from beginning to end and look forward to referring to time and again.

It's difficult to imagine that "Bootstrapped" will win a lot of new followers to Quart's central ideas, however, what it does do remarkably well is put to words what many Americans likely feel as they struggle more and more with a challenged economy, a system still burdened by a pandemic, and a society increasingly guided by technology that often increases our sense of isolation and disconnect.

Both an enjoyable and incredibly intelligent read, "Bootstrapped" is a compassionate and insightful call to action for those who are tired of chasing the American dream and who instead want to build a better life and community for everyone.

Our students read and discuss both Evicted and Nickel and Dimed, two other works of non-fiction which are referenced by the publisher when describing this book to be published in August. I know teachers have been looking for recent, accessible works and I was very curious to see BOOTSTRAPPED. I think this text by Alissa Quart, executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, could be a contender. However, I am disappointed that the archive date for BOOTSTRAPPED occurred just a couple of weeks after I requested it and before I was able to download the preview copy. As a result, I will give it a neutral rating of 3.