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kristauhh's review against another edition
4.0
very educational and easy to understand! it explained quite complicated concepts in a way that even i understood. took me a long time to read simply because it is so vast, but overall the author did a great job
elizlizabeth's review
informative
fast-paced
3.0
Thanks to Storygraph and the author for the giveaway in which I got this ebook.
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It’s a good entry level text about poverty, I would use it with my high school students. I believe that being a bit more critical of capitalism as a system would’ve given it a good insight. Coming from a marxist-leninist perspective it sure is useful to see what the other side is saying but I have to say for some of these it was quite tone deaf, I’m still reeling about the idea of “exploring a burgeoning market” in menstrual products as if these ought not be a human right. Alas, it does a good job of compiling poverty theories and worldwide experiences fighting for its eradication so kudos on that.
——————-
It’s a good entry level text about poverty, I would use it with my high school students. I believe that being a bit more critical of capitalism as a system would’ve given it a good insight. Coming from a marxist-leninist perspective it sure is useful to see what the other side is saying but I have to say for some of these it was quite tone deaf, I’m still reeling about the idea of “exploring a burgeoning market” in menstrual products as if these ought not be a human right. Alas, it does a good job of compiling poverty theories and worldwide experiences fighting for its eradication so kudos on that.
zenpap's review
5.0
Uplift and Empower was an easy introduction to a very complex and important topic. I came to this book with essentially no background info so I really appreciated the time Tarigha took at the beginning to provide a base of information that helped me to better understand the rest of the book. I especially enjoyed how the book is formatted in small chunks; it made the information easier to digest and kept the book's wealth of knowledge from being overwhelming. My favorite parts of the book were case studies and interviews that were included. They introduced me to topics and viewpoints I had never really stopped to consider before and were useful in bringing to life the facts and data presented in the book. Uplift and Empower was genuinely enjoyable to read, entertaining, and full of knowledge and stories that helped me begin to understand such a vast topic. Reading this book inspired me to learn and do more with regards to poverty and I would recommend it to anyone looking to delve into the world of poverty and poverty alleviation.
waterbear0821's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
This was not a good book. It seems like it was a great thesis, though. The ideas are all over the place and the author tries to cover way too much. The lit review, which is what this is, never comes together into coherent conclusions or, if conclusions are made at all, they’re contradictory conclusions. I’m not gonna give a ton of examples because it made my review too long, but the biggest eye roll for me was the book-long sermon about how “sympathetic giving” does more harm than good and that we should instead focus on giving people the ability to have meaningful work, but one of the very first examples the author lifts up as a paragon of this strategy is some people who went to a disaster-stricken region and instead of giving people money or supplies they…taught them to make bracelets 🥴 Friend, why do you think people bought bracelets? Spoiler alert: it was sympathy. Did anyone need bracelets? Was this a valuable skill that improved the community? How was that better than just giving them the money they made selling bracelets? 🫠
Having said all that, by FAR my favorite part was about Liberia. The author’s family comes from Liberia and the history, politics, social ramifications, and interviews about Liberia could have been a whole book and a much better one than this was. Maybe it’s partly because I know a lot less about Liberia than about poverty in America, but I really enjoyed that part and wish it had been much longer and more detailed.
Also I did listen to the audiobook and it is very, very rough. Volume is inconsistent and there are very distracting audio cuts. Not downgrading for that but heads up that it’s challenging to understand at times.
Having said all that, by FAR my favorite part was about Liberia. The author’s family comes from Liberia and the history, politics, social ramifications, and interviews about Liberia could have been a whole book and a much better one than this was. Maybe it’s partly because I know a lot less about Liberia than about poverty in America, but I really enjoyed that part and wish it had been much longer and more detailed.
Also I did listen to the audiobook and it is very, very rough. Volume is inconsistent and there are very distracting audio cuts. Not downgrading for that but heads up that it’s challenging to understand at times.
sirkt's review
informative
medium-paced
5.0
A well researched and explained read which doesn't talk down to the reader and is very informative
bookitqueen's review
5.0
First, thank you to Danielle Hawa Tarigha for this book in exchange for an honest review. And here it is...
This is one of the most organized books I’ve ever read. The author is clear about the objectives for each chapter. Each chapter is broken into digestible, snack-size pieces. And the conclusions wrap up everything with a bow while also preparing you for the next chapter. The book is scaffolded in the sense that each chapter builds on its predecessor. It’s almost as if a canvas is gradually being sketched and then painted. By the end there’s a masterpiece canvas, and I can’t say that it’s all beautiful, but it’s certainly realistic and hopeful.
Perhaps we’ve made poverty into an ugly thing that’s only for certain kinds of people living in developing nations without realizing that we could be contributing to systems of poverty. This book has made me think differently about poverty, the role the US claims to play and the role that it actually plays, and what can be done to stop the cycle. Not only does this book provide the historical and numerical contexts but it provides solutions. I knew certain aspects of poverty but not necessarily why or how they occurred.
While I felt bogged down by the numbers and statistics at first, I understood their greater purpose of creating context. As the book progressed, they made more sense to me and I was able to conceptualize what the author was talking about. Using the names: Robin, Drew, Taylor and Cameron were used to humanize and categorize people in different circumstances; this was particularly helpful to me to organizing my thoughts and feelings around new information presented. This book is truly what it claims to be: a guide. The steps are not as easy as 1, 2, 3, but it definitely provides a launching pad if you’re serious about helping to alleviate poverty in your community. And that phrase right there is key: in your community. We love traveling far to help those in poverty when there are families near us living on less than $1.90 per day. Thank you Danielle for the time and energy placed into this guide.
This is one of the most organized books I’ve ever read. The author is clear about the objectives for each chapter. Each chapter is broken into digestible, snack-size pieces. And the conclusions wrap up everything with a bow while also preparing you for the next chapter. The book is scaffolded in the sense that each chapter builds on its predecessor. It’s almost as if a canvas is gradually being sketched and then painted. By the end there’s a masterpiece canvas, and I can’t say that it’s all beautiful, but it’s certainly realistic and hopeful.
Perhaps we’ve made poverty into an ugly thing that’s only for certain kinds of people living in developing nations without realizing that we could be contributing to systems of poverty. This book has made me think differently about poverty, the role the US claims to play and the role that it actually plays, and what can be done to stop the cycle. Not only does this book provide the historical and numerical contexts but it provides solutions. I knew certain aspects of poverty but not necessarily why or how they occurred.
While I felt bogged down by the numbers and statistics at first, I understood their greater purpose of creating context. As the book progressed, they made more sense to me and I was able to conceptualize what the author was talking about. Using the names: Robin, Drew, Taylor and Cameron were used to humanize and categorize people in different circumstances; this was particularly helpful to me to organizing my thoughts and feelings around new information presented. This book is truly what it claims to be: a guide. The steps are not as easy as 1, 2, 3, but it definitely provides a launching pad if you’re serious about helping to alleviate poverty in your community. And that phrase right there is key: in your community. We love traveling far to help those in poverty when there are families near us living on less than $1.90 per day. Thank you Danielle for the time and energy placed into this guide.
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