A Minor Revolution: How Prioritizing Kids Benefits Us All

by Adam Benforado

"At the dawn of the twentieth century, a bright new age for children appeared on the horizon, with progress on ending child labor, providing public education, ensuring food and drug safety, combating abuse and neglect, and creating a juvenile justice system. But a hundred years on, the promised light has not arrived. Today, more than eleven million American children live in poverty and more than four million lack health insurance. Each year, we prosecute tens of thousands of kids as adults, while our schools crumble. We deny young people any political power, while we forgo meaningful action on the issues that matter most to gun violence, racism, inequality, and climate change. With compelling real-life stories, law professor Adam Benforado fashions a vivid and intimate portrait of what's at stake. We are there when three-year-old Ariel is placed in an orphanage after her parents are locked away for transporting marijuana; when thirteen-year-old Harold first gazes in disbelief upon the immaculate green lawn of an elite private school, after a childhood of rusted chain link and asphalt play yards; when seventeen-year-old Wylie is hit with a paddle by his public-school principal as punishment for taking a moment of silence to protest gun violence. The root cause of nearly every major challenge we face-from crime to poor health to poverty-can be found in our mistreatment of children. And we all pay the cost when we ignore the evidence on the value of early intervention, investment, and empowerment. But in that sobering truth is also the key to effectively changing our fate as a nation. Drawing on the latest scientific research into the remarkable capabilities and crucial needs of young people, A Minor Revolution offers a bold vision for the future. We must put children first, in our budgets and policies, in developing products and enacting laws, in our families and communities. Childhood is the window of opportunity for all of us"--

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Audiobook, Law, Family, Sociology, Politics

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2023

About the author

Adam Benforado is a professor, writer, and lawyer. A graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School, he served as a federal appellate law clerk and an attorney at Jenner & Block, before joining Drexel University. Adam has published numerous scholarly articles and book chapters, and his op-eds and essays have appeared in a variety of publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, Chronicle of Higher Education, American Scholar, and Boston Review.

His acclaimed first book, Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice, was a New York Times bestseller, a #1 Audible.com bestseller, and the recipient of a variety of awards and honors. In his forthcoming book, A Minor Revolution: How Prioritizing Kids Benefits Us All (Crown, February 2023), Benforado offers a revelatory investigation into how America is failing its children, and an urgent manifesto on why helping them is the best way to improve all of our lives.

He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and their two children.

Reviews

[Megan Gafvert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has like 0 reviews but I think it should be more widely read! Benforado’s writing style is accessible; thorough yet easy to understand. He builds a strong case for considering children in every policy decision, and I think that both the average person and policymakers could benefit from this reframe. 4 stars instead of 5 because there were some ideas I did not agree with ideologically, but mostly because the first few chapters about early and middle childhood felt much stronger and more focused than the late childhood early adulthood ones. Still would recommend for anyone in child-facing work or in positions of power in business and policy.

[Brittany McQuary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book in one day on Audible because i found the idea behind it fascinating. While I recommend this book to all parents, all Americans can benefit from reading it as Adam Benforado discusses racial inequality to sexism within our own families to social welfare policies.

"This is not a story about people setting out to harm children. This is a story about not focusing on them, and it is a common story."

[HooplaHore Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an issue so very close to my heart. This title really gives insightful understanding the needs of children throughout their childhood. I would highly recommend this title, especially for parents. We forget the personhood of children too often (as well as the disabled). So many people view children as smaller parts of themselves without trying to interpret raising an individual. Children are people and this book shows how their rights should be acknowledged. I fear truly we are not of a society that can make these changes in our govt as we continue to see how it is run. I do think that the more people and parents change the way they view children it can impact the world and the society we live in. Today is for us to make the world a place that the next generations can thrive in.

[Cliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well researched... i forget where i read the idea that the child is the most discriminated against group in societies worldwide

youth power and youth rights feel the most perilous and out-of-reach - must find ways to empower the young people in my life

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

truly one of the most compelling books on rights that i’ve read in awhile and one you won’t regret picking up

[Greg Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never bet against young people. They aren't young for long, and they have great memories. There are parts of history where the young flex their collective power. Some that impacted me were  footage of the Vietnam war protests, the George Floyd protests, and of course the recent anti-gun/violence protests visible from Parkland high school. 


Acknowledging the divide of generations, this emotional tourniquet around young people, visible in mental health surveys, persistent feelings of hopeless and the inward turn toward social media - may be the first step to resolution. A civil rights movement for the young, might be just the thing we need.  Adam Benforado's "A Minor Revolution" introduces terms such as "the right to attachment", "the right to investment" or "the right to be a kid". These chapters dive into the social problems placed upon the young, curtailing them from loving families, economic prosperity and turning them from a brighter future.


There were so many ideas explored here that really moved me. The difficulties imposed on young people when their parents are incarcerated or removed. Recalling the recent book "We Were Once a Family" (2023) by Roxanna Asgarian, this book dovetails with the same themes of how removing children from parents creates devastating consequences.  


Even some of the ideas that I thought were silly at first glance, such as letting young people vote, became more reasonable. Age brings wisdom but the lost of neural connections too. Young people, engaged in ideas, diverse, and most likely to feel the impact of our future decisions, should naturally have a larger voice.


I think there were some areas that could be developed more. There wasn't much in the book about what young people are responsible for. I'm sure many young people would appreciate the keys of autonomy and respect, but what in return are owed to their parents and guardians. There are areas where paternalism and government overreach feels necessary.. limiting access to guns, porn, and even social media. Additionally, I wondered if Benforado would have a perspective on rights of the unborn. It may not be comfortable to discuss when life exists or when an embryo has personhood. But clearly this population deserves the same promises to life we all inhabit.

Overall a very thought provoking book.

[Ryo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.

I'm not a huge nonfiction reader, but I found this book very interesting. It's full of ideas and anecdotes, laid out in a very organized way from the youngest to oldest children, while at the same time not overstaying its welcome by going on for too long. The main idea explored in this book is that children in the United States are often ignored and underestimated, to the detriment of the children as well as to society as a whole. The book outlines the rights children are missing in this country, at various stages of childhood and adolescence, with some really eye-opening anecdotes about how the various systems in our country have failed children, including children of felons being put into abusive foster situations even though they didn't do anything wrong, as well as legal corporal punishment for a high school student participating in a peaceful demonstration. The book shows how children are often far more capable than adults give them credit for, and how they have fewer rights in the United States compared to many other developed nations. There's multiple references to a staggering amount of money that is being lost by not focusing on children, though not really any detail about how that figure was computed. To be fair, there are copious references in the back of the book, and the calculation is most likely too detailed for a general overview like this book gives. I also really appreciated that the author actually provides plans and solutions for tackling these problems, instead of just describing the problems themselves. I'll certainly be more aware of how issues that affect me may affect children around me differently, after reading this book.

[Helin Shiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very convincing. The argument it makes is that all spheres of public decision making (like criminal justice or product approvals) require some framework, and it would be better to use a framework of "how does this affect children" than many that currently exist (which tend to be influenced by capitalistic pressures).

Half of children in the US have a parent who's in jail; that's the most surprising statistic in the book to me.

I often feel surprise at work when I assume a system is solid and generally trustworthy, and it turns out to barely hold together. That's how this book feels, reading about water testing standards or foster services. I say "often" because I feel like systems are frequently duct taped, and I wonder why I even feel surprised. I suppose I tend to have a bias that if something is serving an important purpose, it must be well designed and implemented.

This is a depressing realization, that the government says they test your water, but you could still have unsafe levels of lead in your water that reduce the IQs of children. However, this book is also hopeful in reminding us that systems can be changed. I think this is something that surprises me at work too - I'll feel like since a system is important, it must be opaque and I don't have the power or knowledge to request change. But it turns out that systems are changed all the time. Usually you just have to find the right people to help you, or you have to try things to work out what change makes sense. Not quite the same, as I don't have to oppose capitalism at all stages of my work, but I appreciate the examples given in the book (eg lowering the voting age in lower levels of government) because the suggested process feels familiar enough to be empowering.

[Caitie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and its premise. It challenged my thinking in many ways, such as considering the morality of incarcerating parents, and the case for why children should be involved in government or even given the right to vote. I do wish the author had given more consideration to the rights of children living outside the US. I also felt like towards the end of the book he got a little off topic and that the earlier chapters were more successful in their message and narrowly focused. Overall I would certainly recommend this and I feel like I learned a lot, and that what I learned will influence how I think about things and prioritize my spending and voting power moving forward.

[Catherine Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

In A Minor Revolution, Adam Benforado gracefully and compellingly argues that "we ought to assess everything we do from the position of trying to ensure the welfare of children. That's it—the elevator pitch to save the world." Having read the book, he's convinced me that this is true. The book is simultaneously gracefully written and scrupulously researched. It should be mandatory reading for anyone who is looking for ways to make the world a better place, for people of all ages and all backgrounds. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Lindsay Zeigler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really really good but not great. I liked him poiting out how little thought of children are in how we set up so much of society and how that really underestimates them and the impact of their surroundings. I especially liked the teen and young adult section about how we can include teens meaningfully in the political process and give them a voice in making choices for policy that will have the longest impact on them.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps one of, if not THE, most radicalizing books I’ve ever read. Everyone should read this—people who have kids or want them, people who don’t have kids or don’t want them. The author lays out the most compelling arguments for change but, unlike many similar calls to action, also lays out clear and specific steps to work toward those changes. TLDR: when you give power to and center the needs of the most vulnerable among us, everyone benefits.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an eye-opening read. I’m ready to take this to my next Thanksgiving dinner. Benforado makes his case with a stirring mix of compassion and insight through stories of kids, not shying away from the tragic realities while celebrating kids’ resilience and untapped potential. I couldn’t put it down.

[Melissa Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was divided into 2 parts: rights and a child first mindset. The part about rights was further divided into life stages- the first years, early childhood, late childhood, early adolescence, late adolescence, and on the cusp of adulthood.

The writer provided a wealth of information, albeit it that some of what was written was blatantly biased.

Interesting perspective...

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this book. Not only are the individual suggestions of childrens’ rights to focus on in the individual chapters important and necessary, but the overall argument calls for a reorganization of law and society that would benefit all of us--truly putting children first.

I hope every lawyer, lawmaker, care provider and educator reads this book.

[Todd Kashdan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the fortunate to receive an early copy of this book - one of the perks of being an author.

As someone whose primary cause is criminal justice reform, this is the painful, poignant, stimulation I needed to do more for children. We know the kids are not alright with the rise of mental health problems and the problems with overindulgent parenting and the insufficient resources communities provide compared with past generations.

This is not your typical non-fiction book. Expect to feel greatly. Expect to be motivated to make a difference. Adam is such a damn good writer, let's hope he cranks out even more books.

[Michelle Crunkleton-Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important read for all policy makers, educators, parents, or anyone, really. It takes a village to raise a child and we have been falling short of our duties as a society. We can and should do more to protect the interests of children.

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting and pretty well written. Short on solutions but adept at explaining the problems. Lots of social philosophy and not a lot of room for disagreements. Would make for a great discussion.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept makes you think about social constructs if you weren't already. No real solution explored or mention of the odd cases where a minority person moves classes even if its from extreme poor to mid class.

[Peter Z.]

Major delusion.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

can’t wait to read this book- such an interesting concept.

[Vanessa Bohns · Rating 5 out of 5]

If ever a book was a must read, it is this one.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly hope more people read this. There is an urgency to change the way we go about our day to day, and sculpt it around the betterment of children. Kids are the future. Shouldn’t they have a say?

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important books I've read this year.

[Mik · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Well written, well researched, and super interesting.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Sam Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF after I got to a weird line in the book, checked the source, and it was from an oped. Make sure your research is accurate!

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor scholarship

[Anne Morel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at how much better our collective lives would be if we made decisions based on how they affect kids. So many great ideas.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Lots of food for thought.