Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - Homeless at Harvard

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Book Review - Homeless at Harvard

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Homeless at Harvard

About the Book
Socially conscious consumers interested in social justice issues, and readers looking for a different kind of book, have found it—one that blends the voice of the author with those of his homeless friends.

Harvard Square is at the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and at the heart of Harvard University. It’s a place of history, culture, and some of the most momentous events of the nation. But in recent years it’s become a gathering place for the city’s homeless.

Why are many of its residents homeless? And how do they survive? Do they have anything to tell people about life? And God?

That’s what Harvard student John Frame set out to discover. While taking his final course at Harvard, John Frame stepped outside the walls of academia and onto the streets, pursuing a different kind of education with his homeless friends.

In Homeless at Harvard: Finding Faith and Friendship on the Streets of Harvard Square, each of these urban pioneers shares his own story, providing insider perspectives of life as homeless people see it. This heartwarming page-turner shows how John learned with, from, and about his homeless friends—a cast of colorful characters who tell an unforgettable story of their life shared together—focusing readers’ perspectives on problems outside themselves and teaching them how those on the streets are more like them than they ever believed.





My Take on the Book
This was a powerful ethnographic study on what it means to be homeless in a city and community that is filled by intellectual pursuit. The book was a great read and so insightful. The author did a great job at becoming a part of the culture and really being able to get to know the people and what they have to share about life, and about spirituality. You learn so much about the homeless people, from their daily routines to tricks that they use to survive and so much more. I have always been interested in ethnographic inquiry and the author has done a great job in this, staying true to form and transporting the reader into the culture which is the true mark of a great ethnographer (in my perspective)! You will be amazed and changed by what you learn here! 

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