Hillbilly Elegy
I’m lucky to have spent the last few years hiking, living, and travelling in Appalachia. I’ve learned a lot, but it was interesting to step into Vance’s shoes and see the world from his point of view. I found his story insightful and interesting, also crazy and depressing. Vance begins with the disclaimer that he hasn’t accomplished anything extraordinary, instead he created a normal life for himself which is rare in his community, and that’s what I like most about the book. Looking around, there are problems here, and I think that by pointing them out willingly, Vance is taking the first steps towards working with them.
Verdict: A good way to see the world from another point of view.
Notes
- People of Appalachia are more pessimistic about their future than other groups with less opportunity for success.
- Many young men don’t value hard work and doing well in school is seen as feminine.
- Difficult to face problems because people of Appalachia “tend to overstate and to understate, to glorify the good and ignore the bad in ourselves”.
- Life is a struggle, but that doesn’t excuse failure.
- Intelligence vs. knowledge: Knowledge can be remedied with patience and hard work, not being intelligent is just bad luck.
- Being able to “take advantage” of someone is a measure of having a parent.
- World of irrational behavior—spending until poor, buying giant TVs and iPads. Screaming and yelling can be normal and not rare for there to be drug addict in family. Some choose not to work and rarely cook.
- Marines “demanded that I think strategically about decisions, and then it taught me how to do so”. Also changed expectations for himself.
- leadership depends more on earning respect of subordinate than of bossing them around.
- Marines taught Vance how to be adult. Graduated in one year and eleven months w summa cum laude, double major.
- Marines taught to respect Iraq culture while on the field.
- “As a culture, we had no heroes” and “community’s identity thrives from our love of country”.
- No trust in the press, so no check on internet conspiracy theories that rule the internet.
- Social capital the networks of people and institutions around you have real economic value. Those who tap in prosper, those who don’t have major handicap.
- To give people better lives, need a community that empowers a sense of being able to control one’s destiny, church that teaches lessons of love, family, support and purpose.