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Hillbilly Elegy : A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance (2018, Trade Paperback)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherHarperCollins
ISBN-100062300555
ISBN-139780062300553
eBay Product ID (ePID)229674808
Product Key Features
Book TitleHillbilly Elegy : a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
Number of Pages288 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicUnited States / State & Local / General, Social Classes & Economic Disparity, Sociology / General, General, Economic Conditions, Anthropology / Cultural & Social, Sociology / Rural
Publication Year2018
GenreSocial Science, Biography & Autobiography, Business & Economics, History
AuthorJ. D. Vance
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height0.7 in
Item Weight8.4 Oz
Item Length8 in
Item Width5.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
ReviewsElites tend to see our social crisis in terms of 'stagnation' or 'inequality.' J. D. Vance writes powerfully about the real people who are kept out of sight by academic abstractions., [Hillbilly Elegy] is a beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America....[Vance] offers a compelling explanation for why it's so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it...a riveting book., "J.D. Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy", offers a starkly honest look at what that shattering of faith feels like for a family who lived through it. You will not read a more important book about America this year.", Vance compellingly describes the terrible toll that alcoholism, drug abuse, and an unrelenting code of honor took on his family, neither excusing the behavior nor condemning it…The portrait that emerges is a complex one…Unerringly forthright, remarkably insightful, and refreshingly focused, Hillbilly Elegy is the cry of a community in crisis., [ Hillbilly Elegy ] is a beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America….[Vance] offers a compelling explanation for why it's so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it…a riveting book., [A]n American classic, an extraordinary testimony to the brokenness of the white working class, but also its strengths. It's one of the best books I've ever read... [T]he most important book of 2016. You cannot understand what's happening now without first reading J.D. Vance., The troubles of the working poor are well known to policymakers, but Vance offers an insider'sview of the problem., What explains the appeal of Donald Trump? Many pundits have tried to answer this question and fallen short. But J.D. Vance nails it...stunning...intimate..., [Hillbilly Elegy] couldn't have been better timed...a harrowing portrait of much that has gone wrong in America over the past two generations...an honest look at the dysfunction that afflicts too many working-class Americans., [A] compassionate, discerning sociological analysis…Combining thoughtful inquiry with firsthand experience, Mr. Vance has inadvertently provided a civilized reference guide for an uncivilized election, and he's done so in a vocabulary intelligible to both Democrats and Republicans. Imagine that., The troubles of the working poor are well known to policymakers, but Vance offers an insider's view of the problem., A beautifully and powerfully written memoir about the author's journey from a troubled, addiction-torn Appalachian family to Yale Law School, Hillbilly Elegy is shocking, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and hysterically funny. It's also a profoundly important book, one that opens a window on a part of America usually hidden from view and offers genuine hope in the form of hard-hitting honesty. Hillbilly Elegy announces the arrival of a gifted and utterly original new writer and should be required reading for everyone who cares about what's really happening in America., [A]n American classic, an extraordinary testimony to the brokenness of the white working class, but also its strengths. It's one of the best books I've ever read… [T]he most important book of 2016. You cannot understand what's happening now without first reading J.D. Vance., [An] understated, engaging debut...An unusually timely and deeply affecting view of a social class whose health and economic problems are making headlines in this election year., [Vance's] description of the culture he grew up in is essential reading for this moment in history., [ Hillbilly Elegy ] couldn't have been better timed...a harrowing portrait of much that has gone wrong in America over the past two generations...an honest look at the dysfunction that afflicts too many working-class Americans., To understand the rage and disaffection of America's working-class whites, look to Greater Appalachia. In HILLBILLY ELEGY, J.D. Vance confronts us with the economic and spiritual travails of this forgotten corner of our country. Here we find women and men who dearly love their country, yet who feel powerless as their way of life is devastated. Never before have I read a memoir so powerful, and so necessary., Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, this memoir is akin to investigative journalism. … A quick and engaging read, this book is well suited to anyone interested in a study of modern America, as Vance's assertions about Appalachia are far more reaching.
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal305.5/62089090092 B
SynopsisHillbilly Elegy recounts J.D. Vance's powerful origin story... From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate now serving as a U.S. Senator from Ohio and the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2024 election, an incisive account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America's white working class. THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "You will not read a more important book about America this year."--The Economist "A riveting book."--The Wall Street Journal "Essential reading."--David Brooks, New York Times Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis--that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck. The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.'s grandparents were "dirt poor and in love," and moved north from Kentucky's Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.'s grandparents, aunt, uncle, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history. A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country., Hillbilly Elegy recounts J.D. Vance's powerful origin story... From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate now serving as a U.S. Senator from Ohio and the Republican Vice Presidential candidate for the 2024 election, an incisive account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America's white working class. THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "You will not read a more important book about America this year."-- The Economist "A riveting book."-- The Wall Street Journal "Essential reading." --David Brooks, New York Times Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis--that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck. The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.'s grandparents were "dirt poor and in love," and moved north from Kentucky's Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.'s grandparents, aunt, uncle, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history. A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country., #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, NAMED BY THE TIMES AS ONE OF "6 BOOKS TO HELP UNDERSTAND TRUMP'S WIN" AND SOON TO BE A MAJOR-MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY RON HOWARD "You will not read a more important book about America this year."-- The Economist "A riveting book."-- The Wall Street Journal "Essential reading."--David Brooks, New York Times Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis--that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck. The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.'s grandparents were "dirt poor and in love," and moved north from Kentucky's Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility. But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that J.D.'s grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history. A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.
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Ratings and reviews
Most relevant reviews
- 29 Sep, 2024Most favourable review
Keeps your attention, informative a good read.
This is much like my husbands family life. It was however the Missouri, Ozarks, yes there is a difference between - Hillbilly and Country folk. Like JD my husbands brothers all nine of them moved from a rock farm in the Ozarks to a metropolitan area and they all got a job at a car plant the same one. Whether people believe it or not there is still, great poor areas in our country and they are evident, may be this book will open peoples eye's to the plight that is still with us. Thank You Mr. Vance for sharing with us, I am quite proud of you like I am my husbands for pulling out, and going forward with a better life. I'm sure like my husband you helped those at home. The book is a good read and and eye opener for those who are not educated to the plight in our Country.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 02 Sep, 2024Most critical review
Says Plenty in 265 Pages
There are mainly three groups of people that will review this book regardless if they're professional critics, amateur writers, or regular readers. And there's also three types of reviews they will write; Pre-Candidate for VP, Campaign Season, and Post-Election reviews. Consider this a regular reader's Campaign Season review written two months before the 2024 election. Many people who review this book, whether they liked it or not, or felt somewhat lukewarm to it, have written their reviews as a kind of sounding board from their own unique life-experiences in relation to this book. Those can be cathartic for both readers and writers of such pieces. Others will find fault with the author's work, style, book title, etc. as if writers plan the entire thing all by themselves. When a book is produced by one of the major publishing houses it goes through many hands before any of us ever get a glance at it, as was the case with this book. So hopefully this assessment will come more from that side of the reader's view and less judgy about any of the other stuff that can be read in spades on the thousands of reviews that have been and will be written about this book. The book is not that long, only 265 pages, but it sure packs a lot in those pages. That's something that really worked well with this type of book. At the 2017 National Book Festival in Washington DC, aired on C-Span, J.D. Vance spoke in front of a huge audience about this book and gave a considerable amount of details about it. Here are a few noteworthy points: Vance did not expect to be a New York Times bestseller on his first book. The concept of the book started in Law School (Yale) with his interests and questions regarding upward mobility. Also part of a scholarly thesis required to graduate. Was encouraged by a professorial advisor, who was also a popular author, to write from both a personal and intellectual perspective. Through this connection he met his agent. Was able to bring a grounded feel to an otherwise academic topic with legal and policy implications. Initially resistant to opening up about his personal life but gained more clarity as he came to realize his individual understanding of the topic as an insider with authentic emotional connections to the subject rather than purely notional or theoretical. Started writing the book part-time in the middle of 2013 and took about 2 & a half years while working another job. Initial print run of 10,000 copies, sold out in less than the first month. He wanted the word "Hillbilly" in the title because his family claimed it as a point of rustic esteem. His agent paired it with the word "Elegy." His family was open to telling stories publicly because many of them did not expect the book to be read by that many people. Critics and interviewers (at the time of its release) liked his straightforward tone. No excessive verbiage, a skill he developed when writing papers at Yale. Didn't think of himself as a talented writer, but learned in Law School how to be concise and engaging to the reader. Born into a broken home in Middletown Ohio where Appalachian kindred from eastern Kentucky migrated for better job opportunities. Initially raised by his single mom who early on worked as a nurse but became unstable with a myriad of social problems, opioid addiction, several failed dysfunctional relationships. Had a traumatic experience that put his family "in the system." Lost touch with, then reconnected with his father; a stable but distant type of man. Mostly lived with his grandparents, and after the passing of his "Papaw," lived with his "Mamaw." He considered them his real parents most responsible for guiding him to the man he would become. Would go back to Appalachian Kentucky with relatives to visit, always had fun and felt like that was where his heritage was at. Encouraged by his cousin Rachel to sign up for the US Marine Corps. After his service and tours in the desert wars was completed, it made college seem much less daunting as he was a bit older and more disciplined than most college students. Though non-fiction, this book reads like a novel. When asked after the book came out if he would be interested in politics, he laughed and left it ambiguous, not overly excited or dismissive to the idea. I enjoyed the book. It wasn't some groundbreaking revolutionary publication, but it offered insight into where this person was from and how he viewed things at the time it came out. He has since modified certain things in his outlook. In some ways he gained some followers, in other ways paid a price with the mainstream elites that treated him as one of them back then but now disdain him at every turn. He's an intelligent writer that doesn't bother you with fancy ornate words or catchy phrasing. One caution though, this book is profuse with curse words mainly retelling what someone said, and some of his own thrown in. He's got my vote!Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 04 Oct, 2024
Great Shape Few Notes on side No Harm Th...
Great Shape Few Notes on side No Harm Though & & Pages were not even creased. thank u Well PleasedVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 03 Sep, 2024
Glad I read it
It was an excellent book, but one has to remember this happens in Kentucky and West Virginia hills, especially the language and fighting. I do admire those who have good examples around and want a better life and fight for it.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 26 Nov, 2024
An Indepth Look at the Making of a Leader of Our Country.
Very compelling story about the life of mountain people and their families. It gives a good background of what made the incoming U.S. Vice President and makes one appreciate his current stature as a leader of our country.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 03 Aug, 2024
A top-quality, captivating story
J.D. Vance considered, organized, and then wrote his family's story truthfully using drama, comedy, quotes, compelling facts, and more--all with encouragement and hope, but without pity for himself or anyone else. It is outstanding! I enjoyed it and recommend it thoroughly. The Netflix film directed by Ron Howard is impressive, too.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 08 Aug, 2024
Aptly titled…..
This is a good read…just dislike the vulgar language but realize this is what he grew up with….his Momaw & Papaw became endearing characters because of their love for JD.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 26 Dec, 2024
Cover looked strange and blurry, especia...
Cover looked strange and blurry, especially with the small writing. Text is really small and pages are thin, makes it a little hard to read. Seems cheaply made.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- 13 Sep, 2024
Hillbilly E.
I am in the process of reading the book (about 1/2 way through). It is helping me understand JD Vance's life.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 15 Nov, 2024
And now author is the vice President of the USA
Wonderful story of our Vice President bio.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
