Sidewalk

Rating:
Summary: I see the world differently now
Review: Every once in a while you read a book that changes the way you look at the world. Sidewalk is that kind of book. It has made me understand poverty, the humanity of people on the streets, and my own self as I look at these issues. This is not a romantic or bleeding heart book. It is brutally honest, but it helps you see the human beings behind behavior that get defined as so bad.

Rating:
Summary: Eye opening
Review: I can't say that I've ever had an interest in sociology; I happened across this book via a link on the This American Life homepage while looking for something completely unrelated.

Wow, thank goodness for circumstance. This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in urban life. Everyone -- urban dwellers, suburbanites, country folk -- has their own preconceived notions about the unhoused. Mr. Duneier spends years (on and off) with the "written materials" vendors in Greenwich Village and exposes a wealth of information that the rest of us would otherwise never imagine.

Written in a style that's very readable considering its academic relevance, this is a book that can't be overlooked. Holiday shopping for your urban friends is complete; this book is it.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting lives
Review: I had to read this book for a college course. I thought it was going to deal with the homeless situation in general, but the main focus was on unhoused men in Greenwich Village selling (mainly used) books for a living. I thought Duneier did a rather good job and got some valuable information on these men's backgrounds and outlooks on life. The book is illustrated with many photos to enhance the overall vibe. Maybe I was looking for something more general on the homeless, not a specialized underground economy in such a unique setting. But it was still very interesting nevertheless.

Rating:
Summary: Eye opening
Review: I picked this book up accidentally while randomly grabbing books at my local library. I thought I was grabbing books out of an urban planning or urban design section.

"Sidewalk" has opened my eyes on many levels. Of course I have a much deeper appreciation of the 'unhoused', and a desire to find ways to establish healthy informal economies for them to step back into society. Also, though, I'm amazed by the lawlessness of respected members of our society - book store owners, policeman, community leaders. The law becomes a guide (not a rule) for people in power to manipulate and influence in order to meet their objectives. So few of us are clean, it's disturbing that we make such a big deal about the homeless being dirty.

This book has made me step back and reexamine my motives. Am I creating excuses to explain away my actions, which are really based on prejudice and selfishness?

Rating:
Summary: A humbling read
Review: I was halfway through reading Sidewalk in April this year when I suddenly remembered that my friend was vacationing in New York. In a desperate and pathetic attempt to live vicariously through her, I suggested she take a stroll down the streets of New York which Mitchell Duneier had featured in his book, particularly at the intersection where Hasan Hakim held his table and forums. (She didn't by the way.)

While I was only a few pages into Sidewalk, I was touched by Duneier's deep sense of humanity and humility. He brought life to these people and showed us how, for many of them, living (and making a living) in the streets was a conscious decision, be it one which was made actively, or with resignation. He brought out their sense of self-worth in spite of living conditions which many would deem unliveable and intolerable. By the mere fact of their ability to make do with what they have, the sidewalk community have become much stronger and real than many of us, defined not by their material possessions but by their fighting spirit. Hasan Hakim embodies this virtue and more. He has made a meaningful life not only for himself and his fellow street dwellers, but also for the pedestrians who come into contact with him both intentionally and unintentionally.

Sidewalk isn't merely a book about the human condition and its resilience and complexities. It is also a tribute to a man's passion about his craft and his humility - and the man is Mitchell Duneier. He spent years researching this gem not just by interviews and distant observation; he immersed himself in the street lives of his subjects with the constant awareness that he could've been treated partially because of the colour of his skin and his educational background etc. Still, he tried. And I applaud him.

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: Like the previous reviewer, I also agree with Spike Lee's statement on the back of Sidewalk: this is the best and most readable work of sociology I have ever encountered. It is a work of deep sympathetic understanding that is nevertheless a completely unromantic look at poverty. Most impressive to me as an attorney is the way that the author, while arguing these men are trying to live in accordance with standards of moral worth, is willing to explicitly acknowledge and look at the evidence whohc would contradict his claims. This is unlike most other ethnography I have read, which gives us such a limited range of evidence that it is difficult to know what to believe. I was also impressed with the afterward of Hakim Hasan, one of the key characters of the book, who gives a brilliant perspective on how, as a subject, he had an impact on the way the book was constructed, including the research questions Duneier asked.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasure to read
Review: Mitchell Duneier explores the world of New York City Street booksellers, many of whom sell stolen goods.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Ethnography
Review: This is a great ethnographic study on a par with Whyte's Street Corner Society. It really delves deep into the life of the street, homelessness, and poverty. I really like the way author deals with issues of social position and reflexivity. He brings together traditions of ethnography from Becker and the Chicago School to feminist and cultural anthropological approaches of the 1990s. This is useful. The appendix by Hakim Hasan, a vendor, is wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: Inside information about street vendors - a page turner
Review: This is an excellent book -- a page turner. Mitch Duneier allows us a look at the corporate structure of the street vending business through his living and working among the street vendors as well as taped coversations and quotes from the various vendors. We are allowed to meet the vendors and peek into some of the reasons they have become vendors. I have always seen street vendors -- but was unaware of the complexities of the business. The research for this book was thorough and complete. Mitch is an excellent researcher and writer. Ovie Carter brings us superior photos allowing us to see the vendors we have met through Mitch's words.

Having read "Slim's Table," Mitch Duneier and Ovie Carter's first venture, I can say that "Sidewalk" is equal in every way.

I look forward to a third book collaborating the talents of Mitch Duneier and Ovie Carter.

Rating:
Summary: If you are required to read this, you are in luck
Review: This was by far the most enjoyable book I was required to read for my urban sociology class. Instead of grouping entire populations into one analysis, as so many of my other socilogical readings about urbanites, Mitch works from direct and personal experience with real urban individuals. The material reads like a story, and draws you in as you meet each new character and learn about thier lives. The insight I gained from this text opened my eyes to so much more in my sociological studies.