A review by ecari
Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America by Paul Tough

4.0

This was an excellent book for anyone interested in the charter school movement, educational disparities in American, and/or the incredible entrepreneurial and passionate spirit required to start a nonprofit organization to address any type of inequity. Whatever It Takes is about Geoffrey Canada, who decided that the seemingly endless cycle of poverty in the black neighborhoods of NYC should not be endless and can be rectified if addressed at the neighborhood level. Not only that, but he sees it as his own mission to make this change happen. He develops an organization that attempts to help people at every stage of their lives, from conception through their education. When he sees that he is losing many of the young kids when they enter the public school system and that that the older children in after school programs need much more than his programs can provide, he creates a charter school. Paul Tough writes this story brilliantly, showing the humanity of everyone and not afraid to show both success and failure. He weaves in the larger backstory of the Charter School movement - advocating and dissenting opinions alike. His clear respect for Canada and his own beliefs shine through. I read this book very quickly and immediately found myself looking up the Harlem Children's Zone online and exploring how this magnificent and honorable experiment is doing today.