Take a photo of a barcode or cover
vel629vet 's review for:
This is a wow book. A "what have I just read and what do I do about it" book. I had to remind myself over and over that the stories and characters are real, and that's why they're so important. It made me evaluate the way I feel about people who lead different lives than me. Poorer, richer, cleaner, smarter, kinder...we're all still people who want to live without worry.
The most incredible (not in a good way incredible) observation of this book is how people would sell each other out despite their similarities. Just because you're all trying to reach the ladder to lead out of poverty doesn't mean you have some automatic bond. And the smallest argument can lead to something huge.
At the start of the book it's hard to imagine that the people of Annawadi could get more destitute, but international economy affects the extremely poor as well.
My heart breaks for the corruption of India. I know there's corruption everywhere, but to the extent that it is embedded into the culture of such a vibrant nation is sobering. Everyone is taken advantage of at all levels, and the circle is endless because sometimes the only way to rise above is to take advantage of those below you.
I'm curious about some of the basics of slum life. Where does the electricity come from for those who have it?
This book made me truly question the organizations I support as well. It seems impossible for a good charity to reach the people of Annawadi because the corruption is so deep. You would need an outsider with a strong moral compass but also they would need protection from the police/others.
How do you undo what India has become while still protecting the rights and freedoms of ALL the people there? How can people of all castes and levels be noticed and cared for? How do you break a country-wide mindset of being too preoccupied to assist a dying man on the side of the road?
I don't know what to do about having read this book. I think for me the most important thing is to remember the complexity of every human being. Impoverished people are not less human than me. They don't have fewer thoughts or feelings.
"But something he'd come to realize on the roof, leaning out, thinking about what would happen if he leaned too far, was that a boy's life could still matter to himself."
The most incredible (not in a good way incredible) observation of this book is how people would sell each other out despite their similarities. Just because you're all trying to reach the ladder to lead out of poverty doesn't mean you have some automatic bond. And the smallest argument can lead to something huge.
At the start of the book it's hard to imagine that the people of Annawadi could get more destitute, but international economy affects the extremely poor as well.
My heart breaks for the corruption of India. I know there's corruption everywhere, but to the extent that it is embedded into the culture of such a vibrant nation is sobering. Everyone is taken advantage of at all levels, and the circle is endless because sometimes the only way to rise above is to take advantage of those below you.
I'm curious about some of the basics of slum life. Where does the electricity come from for those who have it?
This book made me truly question the organizations I support as well. It seems impossible for a good charity to reach the people of Annawadi because the corruption is so deep. You would need an outsider with a strong moral compass but also they would need protection from the police/others.
How do you undo what India has become while still protecting the rights and freedoms of ALL the people there? How can people of all castes and levels be noticed and cared for? How do you break a country-wide mindset of being too preoccupied to assist a dying man on the side of the road?
I don't know what to do about having read this book. I think for me the most important thing is to remember the complexity of every human being. Impoverished people are not less human than me. They don't have fewer thoughts or feelings.
"But something he'd come to realize on the roof, leaning out, thinking about what would happen if he leaned too far, was that a boy's life could still matter to himself."