Scratch Beginnings

Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard

Book Review by Jackson N.

One of the books I read last Fall was Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard. This is a story of an experiment by Adam to see if the American dream is still alive and well. The experiment he conducted was to pick one spot on a map and travel there with $25, a gym bag, a sleeping bag, the clothes on his back and a 8’ X 10’ tarp. The way Adam will prove that he is successful if he as a home or apartment that is fully furnished, a fully functioning car, $2500 in cash and most importantly, a sustainable way to continue life by either going to school or starting his own business.

I really enjoyed reading about Adam's experiences in the homeless shelter and how he met many different people and all of their colorful personalities. The book is perfectly suited for someone who doesn’t mind a little hard work and enjoys reading about amazing adventures and social experiments. Adam paints a picture effectively of the characters he meets and the relationships he develops.

 If adventure in the real world are what you are looking for, you should really read this book. However, if you are looking for a sugar coated book with a perfect world scenario, put this book back on the self and find another one. Adam’s word choice and storytelling abilities are a reason in itself to read the book, but what really attracted me to read the book was the plot of the story. If you choose to read it, which you should, you will enjoy stories about BG, Derrick and Fast Moving Company. All the people he talks about are either motivating Adam to succeed, or they are discouraging Adam and being a negative impact to Adam's overall well being.