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Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century
by
From the beet fields of North Dakota to the wilderness campgrounds of California to an Amazon warehouse in Texas, people who once might have kicked back to enjoy their sunset years are hard at work. Underwater on mortgages or finding that Social Security comes up short, they're hitting the road in astonishing numbers, forming a new community of nomads: RV and van-dwelling
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Hardcover, 273 pages
Published
September 19th 2017
by W. W. Norton Company
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Community Reviews
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I have taken some deep interest toward the American people, specifically the Southerns and economically lower classes. I am not sure why this is, but what I do know is that economically speaking Finland and America are very different in many aspects. It is often difficult to mirror experiences, social structures and trends when the two countries are so far yet so close to each others from multiple different point of views.
Despite of these various differences, we tend to adapt a lot of trends fro ...more
Despite of these various differences, we tend to adapt a lot of trends fro ...more
I want to begin by saying that I listened to this audiobook and I definitely do NOT recommend that experience. I am truly surprised I made it through to the end. Trust me, get the actual book. (Also, this book uses lots of special jargon and because I listened, I may be misspelling these special words and may have incorrectly punctuated the quote at the end.)
I’m having a hard time reviewing this book. At its core it’s about a little known subculture of poor retirees who are basically forced by c ...more
I’m having a hard time reviewing this book. At its core it’s about a little known subculture of poor retirees who are basically forced by c ...more
Since my plan is to spend most of my time travelling North America in an RV when I retire I have been doing a lot of research on the subject of living in an RV.
It was a very shocking eye opener when I first discovered that there are people living in cars, vans and RV's just to make ends meet.
The author has spent a long time talking and living with these nomads and even working
the same seasonal jobs. So we get a very interesting and real glimpse at their current lives and what causes people to "c ...more
It was a very shocking eye opener when I first discovered that there are people living in cars, vans and RV's just to make ends meet.
The author has spent a long time talking and living with these nomads and even working
the same seasonal jobs. So we get a very interesting and real glimpse at their current lives and what causes people to "c ...more
Nomadland offers various talking points to ponder over and deliberate such as vehicle dwelling, the nomadic lifestyle, and economic issues. I got the most out of Part One which talked mainly about the reasons behind vehicle dwelling and thus my review reflects my thoughts primarily on that section.
"At one time there was a social contract that if you played by the rules (went to school, got a job, and worked hard) everything would be fine. That's no longer true today. You can do everything right ...more
"At one time there was a social contract that if you played by the rules (went to school, got a job, and worked hard) everything would be fine. That's no longer true today. You can do everything right ...more
"Some call them homeless. The new nomads refer to themselves as 'houseless'. Many
took to the road after their savings were obliterated by the Great Recession. To keep
their gas tanks and bellies full, they work long hours at hard, physical jobs. In a time
of flat wages and rising housing costs, they have unshackled themselves from rent
and mortgages as a way to get by. They are surviving America."
I finished reading this book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century weeks ago a ...more
took to the road after their savings were obliterated by the Great Recession. To keep
their gas tanks and bellies full, they work long hours at hard, physical jobs. In a time
of flat wages and rising housing costs, they have unshackled themselves from rent
and mortgages as a way to get by. They are surviving America."
I finished reading this book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century weeks ago a ...more
This was an engrossing but very unsettling read. Similar to the book "Evicted"(Matthew Desmond), the author entered into a community, in this case-- work campers, following them on the road and working some of their jobs. She interviewed many folks, but followed a few in more detail. One woman in particular, Linda May, became her friend and the centerpiece of her story. Most of her subjects were people who would traditionally be considered of retirement age---in their 60s and 70s, even a few in
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This was such a sad eye opening read, a whole subculture I knew nothing about, subsidized by Amazon. My husband and I listened in the car, I said how many stars, he said three, I bellowed 5, it's a topic I knew zip about and I was hanging on every word. He quickly upped his rating to four 😉
Nomadland takes a deep look at the growing culture of van-dwellers and other nomads that attempt to live on the road, because they can't afford to live otherwise. I thought it was a particularly poignant read after reading Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City earlier this year, since that book examines the issue of eviction among people attempting to still live in traditional ways. The people in this book have left town, leaving mortgages and rent behind, to try to make it through se
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A surprising look at the people, mainly retirees, who are houseless not homeless. In a throwback to the 1930s they travel across America in mobile homes and converted vehicles, generally off the radar, taking seasonal work. Because they can't afford the lifestyle we should all hope retired workers receive.
It's one of those pretty damning indictments of America's social fabric. And let's be careful about too much Canadian smugness until we look at our own seniors.
It's one of those pretty damning indictments of America's social fabric. And let's be careful about too much Canadian smugness until we look at our own seniors.
Bruder spent nearly 4 years exploring the lives of retirees who have fallen out of the middle class and now travel the country in often substandard RVs, campers, and trucks. Since many can't afford heat or air conditioning, weather often dictates their current location as well as seasonal jobs with national parks, vegetable farms, and Amazon. Despite being in their 60s and 70s, all these jobs entail hard, physical labor at a punishing pace for very low wages. Amazon evens maintains dispensers of
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Nomadland was an eye opening book that gave a peek into a society that is literally all around us and in plain sight. A large number of Americans can’t afford to retire or afford to stay in their homes or rent a home. They can’t afford the rent or mortgage payments so they have opted to live in RV’s, campers, vans or even cars while they work seasonal jobs moving around the country. The author interviewed many people and followed them on the road for 3 years and even worked some of their jobs to
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I don't read much non-fiction these days, but when I saw this one, I knew I had to read it, since I too am a nomad and have lived full-time in a motorhome with my husband and our dog for two years now. I found this book completely engaging, startling in some ways, and fascinating.
This book is both a sociological treasure and a very personal study. The nomadic folks profiled herein by journalist/writer Jessica Bruder are a little different from me and my husband, as we chose this lifestyle after ...more
This book is both a sociological treasure and a very personal study. The nomadic folks profiled herein by journalist/writer Jessica Bruder are a little different from me and my husband, as we chose this lifestyle after ...more
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by author and award-winning journalist Jessica Bruder is an insightful and chilling look at economic struggle of so many Americans subsequent to the financial collapse in 2008 and resulting economic recession. These are people that have found that they were unable to make ends meet on their Social Security benefits. Many were forced into an early retirement because of the economic collapse of so many corporations and businesses, and unabl
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This book introduced me to a growing subculture of seniors who can “not afford to grow old”. Many parts of this lifestyle were upsetting as I am once again awakened to my privilege. Not all of the nomads in this book made bad choices so we can’t go around feeling like this could never happen to me. Many of them lost respectable jobs or savings due to our country’s economic policies. Others had devastating medical expenses. They all ended up living in RVs, cars, trucks—their wheel estate. They at
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For the record, I've never liked camping. Growing up, my dad would drag my siblings and me out to some campground just off the highway near Phoenix, Arizona. "It's not camping if you can hear the sound of rush hour traffic!" I remember thinking.
Having moved to Florida sometime later, I begged my dad to let me go camping with a group I'd just gotten involved with called the "Royal Rangers". For those who don't know, which is probably all of you, the Royal Rangers are the (very) Christian equival ...more
Having moved to Florida sometime later, I begged my dad to let me go camping with a group I'd just gotten involved with called the "Royal Rangers". For those who don't know, which is probably all of you, the Royal Rangers are the (very) Christian equival ...more
This was a brutal and powerful read about the ways in which older Americans are "making due" while having little money to live off in their older years. Bruder follows a series of folks who are working seasonal, low-paying jobs that thrive from the work of these older workers, with a really in-depth look at CamperForce, Amazon's seasonal employees. I have always known Amazon to be a problem with their workers, of course, but this was something else all together. Imagine your grandmother or grand
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Nov 18, 2017
JoAnn
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
read-2017
Not at all what I was expecting, but an engrossing read nonetheless. This is the American dream gone awry for a sizable portion of 21st century retirees. The author joined the growing community of van dwellers for three years... learning of their hopes, struggles, and triumphs. Recommended.
If I could, I've give this six stars; it's that good. More to come.
Thanks to WW Norton for the advance reading copy.
Thanks to WW Norton for the advance reading copy.
After reading Jessica Bruder's Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, I will never be able to drive into Wall-Mart's parking lot or the lot of any open all night grocery store or the like without looking to see if there are a couple of vans parked somewhere on the outer edges. And I certainly will never feel the same way about ordering from Amazon again. I won't be able to look at an RV no matter the size and wonder if it really would be fun to travel the open road and live in
...more
This book is hard to read! Why? Because it is a deep and revealing look at a growing subculture America does not want to acknowledge. What happens to middle class folks after they turn a certain age and lose their jobs, retire on meager social security, or decide they can't crash with their kids and grandkids anymore? Look around you and you'll see: they're living in their cars, RVs, or vans. Read this book, then check the local Walmart parking lot. You'll see what Bruder is talking about. We al
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I saw an interview with the author and was immediately intrigued. A fascination with Tiny House videos on YouTube led me to Bob Wells' channel and the discovery of the subculture of full-time nomads who live in their vehicles, sometimes on very little money and often "boondocking" for free, not glamping in fancy RV parks and fancier RVs. The people who choose this lifestyle don't always choose it absolutely freely-- sometimes circumstances dictate the choice--but most of them seem happy and unwi
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Oct 26, 2017
Brianna
added it
I attended an equity training workshop at my job today in which the woman leading the meeting informed us that we can now expect to see people working into their 60s and 70s. "Isn't this exciting!" Is how she ended that PowerPoint slide, but all I could think of was this book. I wasn't expecting to be so deeply unsettled by it. To be fair people have been migrating from low wage job to job since longer than the 2008 recession, but this book focuses almost exclusively on older white women who bac
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105 I have read tons of nonfiction this year. It generally isn't my favorite genre but this year I've been lucky to stumble upon some greats and to hear fabulous recommendations. This book is one of them. Sadly, it has made me dislike Amazon as much if not more than Walmart. My daughter's boyfriend (22) worked for Amazon for about a year. He told us horror stories and this book brought those truths home. Nomadland chronicles a new group of Americans who live in vans, and RVs, and school buses. O
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Diligently reported, thoughtful and eye-opening. I wish there were more nonfiction books like this, which combine sharp reporting and personal perspective/viewpoint and are in it for the long haul, not just a fly-by (or in this case, a drive-by).
The overall point is that our older Americans -- perhaps re-inspired by their hippy days -- have chosen purposeful homelessness as a means of survival, offering themselves up to brutal labor opportunities and doing what they can to scrape by. Think of th ...more
The overall point is that our older Americans -- perhaps re-inspired by their hippy days -- have chosen purposeful homelessness as a means of survival, offering themselves up to brutal labor opportunities and doing what they can to scrape by. Think of th ...more
Nomadland is a fascinating, but sad, look at a segment of the American population that prefers to call itself "houseless" rather than "homeless" - and that's about the only difference in with the "homeless" that they have. This usually elderly segment of the population is lucky in that the various vehicles they live in are generally mobile and able to get them from state to state as they seek seasonal work. The stories and features gathered by the book's author Jessica Bruder will remind readers
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Nomadland is a 5 Star book for me. Jessica Bruner spent a great deal of time researching this topic and even immersed herself in the environment.
Nomadland is about a group of Americans mostly over 60 who have taken to the road in RVs, trailers, vans, trucks, and cars because they cannot afford to pay rent. Reading this book you will learn that most of these people have to survive on $400 or $500 a month from social security.
Not all of these people were ones who did not plan for retirement. Man ...more
Nomadland is about a group of Americans mostly over 60 who have taken to the road in RVs, trailers, vans, trucks, and cars because they cannot afford to pay rent. Reading this book you will learn that most of these people have to survive on $400 or $500 a month from social security.
Not all of these people were ones who did not plan for retirement. Man ...more
Bruder describes a growing wave of rootless Americans, who wander the country in cars, vans and RVs in search of comradere and the next minimum wage job. Some claim to be victims of the housing bust and recent recession. Others claim a life of hard luck and bad breaks. Most seem to be homeless and penniless due to lapses in personal responsibility. The author does a good job immersing herself in this American sub-culture and describing the experience. She might have written a more incisive book
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WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?
Jessica Bruder wanders around with several professional nomads for a few years and chronicles those she becomes friends with. Predominantly, this covers older folks who have fallen on hard times and now reside in vans, rvs, pickup beds, and even cars. In the midst of these chronicles, she pauses to reflect on a formerly booming industrial city turned ghost town in Nevada, and throws shade at Amazon for their workers' conditions.
If you're looking for something to describe th ...more
Jessica Bruder wanders around with several professional nomads for a few years and chronicles those she becomes friends with. Predominantly, this covers older folks who have fallen on hard times and now reside in vans, rvs, pickup beds, and even cars. In the midst of these chronicles, she pauses to reflect on a formerly booming industrial city turned ghost town in Nevada, and throws shade at Amazon for their workers' conditions.
If you're looking for something to describe th ...more
The best way to enjoy Jessica Bruder's portrait of, basically, formally-middle-class older white people who, through loss of a job, or divorce, or a medical crises, or over-leveraging their home pre-2008, suddenly find themselves "houseless", and living in an RV or, increasingly, a van, is just to read it for what it is: a portrait of a very small, if undeniably colorful, American sub-subculture. I say this because I was frustrated at first that Bruder stayed so micro with her book, and this sto
...more
Focusing on a few cameos, the author details the lives of those who are "houseless," not homeless--mostly retirees who have chosen to remove the biggest expense of their lives--their house--or involuntarily lost it due to unforeseen economic circumstances. They live in vans, cars, and RVs, moving from temporary job to temporary job and living under the radar parked along streets or camping in the desert when they cannot afford commercial campgrounds.
While I enjoyed this book, I seem to feel ther ...more
While I enjoyed this book, I seem to feel ther ...more
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Jessica Bruder is a journalist who writes about subcultures and economic justice.
For her most recent book, "Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century" (W.W. Norton & Co.), she spent months living in a camper van, documenting itinerant Americans who gave up traditional housing and hit the road full time, enabling them to travel from job to job and carve out a place for themselves ...more
More about Jessica Bruder
For her most recent book, "Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century" (W.W. Norton & Co.), she spent months living in a camper van, documenting itinerant Americans who gave up traditional housing and hit the road full time, enabling them to travel from job to job and carve out a place for themselves ...more
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“A deepening class divide makes social mobility all but impossible. The result is a de facto caste system. This is not only morally wrong but also tremendously wasteful. Denying access to opportunity for large segments of the population means throwing away vast reserves of talent and brainpower. It’s also been shown to dampen economic growth.”
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3 likes
“THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ITINERANTS, drifters, hobos, restless souls. But now, in the second millennium, a new kind of wandering tribe is emerging. People who never imagined being nomads are hitting the road. They’re giving up traditional houses and apartments to live in what some call “wheel estate”—vans, secondhand RVs, school buses, pickup campers, travel trailers, and plain old sedans. They are driving away from the impossible choices that face what used to be the middle class. Decisions like: Would you rather have food or dental work? Pay your mortgage or your electric bill? Make a car payment or buy medicine? Cover rent or student loans? Purchase warm clothes or gas for your commute? For many the answer seemed radical at first. You can’t give yourself a raise, but what about cutting your biggest expense? Trading a stick-and-brick domicile for life on wheels?”
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2 likes
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