This is the book that the movie was based off. I saw the movie a little more than a year ago and really enjoyed the movie. I have had this book for a year or so too but just now got around to reading it. While the movie was visually appealing it was harder to show how many people this really involved--at least from my memory. I remember it mostly about a few people that keep meeting up and their difficult circumstances. In the book, there are more people you learn about and can extrapolate beyond them to the hundreds or thousands more out there at this time. This is a few years removed from the 2008 financial crisis, it sounds like many lost jobs and struggled for a couple years before they had to sort of pack it in & become these nomads on wheels. Really interesting reading about how they have learned to survive. I would like a sort of followup if possible about what happened to them now years later.
The other thing this book made me think about & it touched on it at the end is the great wealth disparity in our country. It is sort of in the background throughout the book like whenever Amazon is mentioned and how poorly the employees are treated and paid but because of desperate circumstances there are plenty of people wanting these jobs. While thinking about Amazon being owned by one of the very richest people on our planet. Also mentioned is that one of the Amazon workers feels most of the stuff they are stocking is throw away items that will be in a landfill within a year--just a very sick thought on our out of control consumerism. A couple mentions of not buying big box/internet stuff & instead looking to mom & pop type places was nice to hear as well.
There are 7 WL for this book on PBS but might go to my loan out to friends pile to see if anyone else would be interested.
No comments:
Post a Comment