A Clarion Call for a War on Poverty

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	• Amazing Grace : Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation, The Jonathan Kozol, 1996 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 67 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Clarion Call for a War on Poverty

Jonathan Kozol is a national treasure, and his Amazing Grace is a beautiful addition to his portfolio. It has inspired my own writing about the importance of uplifting the South Bronx, a place that I well remember from visiting my grandparents there in the late 60s.

It has been said that Hurricane Katrina woke many Americans to the realization that domestic poverty is a serious problem. Obviously, those Americans had never read Jonathan Kozol. We should be ashamed that places like the South Bronx exist amidst all the affluence in our society. If and when a group of spiritual politicians emerge who are serious about confronting this national disgrace, I suspect they will have this book at their sides to serve as living, breathing muse.

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Overrated (2nd)

This is to stress the point of view of another reviewer: the book was interesting at first, now after 70 pages I clearly miss some structure. We hear stories of different people, unrelated one to another. It is very repetitive after a while.

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Eye Opening

Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace is an enlightening, non-fiction account of life in the South Bronx. To write this book, Kozol visited to the area hundreds of times, speaking with and establishing relationships with residents as well as exploring, and getting to know the area himself. The final product is a compilation of conversations with some amazing people and his own thoughts and reflections, beautifully woven together. This book addresses numerous social issues effecting New York's poorest areas including violence, poverty, unemployment, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, inadequate schools, orphaned children, and deplorable living conditions.
Kozol's account was more two sided than I expected it to be. He did a good job of presenting both sides of the issues fairly, leaving it up to the reader to form their own opinion. I personally finished the book feeling guilty for living my privileged life with no regard for what is going on in other parts of the country and anxious for answers. How did these areas become so dismal and life so hopeless? What can be done to fix the situation? Why hasn't someone, anyone, done something to prevent or fix it? Who's fault is it? Looking back, I believe that this sort of reaction was Kozol's purpose in writing this book. He wanted to show America what is going on in poor urban areas, like the South Bronx, in hopes that they will then move to change.
The passage that struck me most was part of a conversation Kozol had with a reverend in the South Bronx who explained that she thinks if New York were a "Judeo-Chrisitan city," people would "be asking questions all the time" such as, "Do I need this bottle of expensive perfume more than a child needs a doctor or a decent school?" (Kozol 223). When I read this line, I was struck with an immense feeling of guilt. I've bought countless bottles of expensive perfume, but have never considered that the money I'm spending on perfume could save a child who is suffering less than an hour from my own home.

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Kozal at his best

I first picked this up in college in my first sociology class. I didn't know what to think of the book. Was this supposed to be a textbook for the class, or a nonfiction novel? Well, it didn't take long for me to get hooked on Kozal and everything he's written since. Amazing Grace is very powerful and the most basic level; it introduces the reader to children directly affected by poverty and shows you in no uncertain way how their socio-economic status cripples their ability to learn and flourish into adults. It doesn't mence words, so be ready to get a little emotional when reading this. If you have any interest in class and education, you have to read Kozal. If you're going to read any Kozal, you have to start here.

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reviews: 1, page 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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