Book Reviews of Amazing Grace : The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation

I ordered this book because I'm a social worker in the South Bronx; on any given day I'm likely to pass by a location Kozol describes, and i wouldn't be surprised if I've met people he interviewed. The book has its very good points; it does capture some of the gritty reality that I see every day, that many people who read it will probably find unbelievable. FWIW, things are better her now in some respects. I do not meet people who have stories to tell about seeing people killed as a commonplace act, and my program, which includes drug testing, mostly finds marijuana. The streets are not littered with crack vials and needles any more. So some of the extreme elements are a bit dated. More importantly, when the author tries to move beyond reportage into social analysis, he seems a bit out of his league. He reports ridiculous conspiracy theories advanced by clients without comment; he can't seem to get beyond sympathizing with his subjects and the simplistic assertion that a compassionate society would meet all their needs. True enough but not the totality of what causes the situation. and not a useful truth, because society is not likely to adopt a more compassionate stance, so the book leaves one feeling rather more empty and hopeless than the actual situation deserves.

Disturbing and moving. Toni Morrison said of this book: "good in the old-fashioned sense: beautiful and morally worthy..."

This is a sad tale of the struggle that goes on so much more than just in BROOKLYN NY but all over this country. It was a sad read...had to read it for a human service class!

I could not put this book down! It was informative and touching. We hear all the time about poverty in other nations, but rarely do we think of it on American soil. People in poverty are just a statistic, one that shows that they "put themselves there." This book brings humanity to the situation; puts faces on the poor. I highly recommend this book!

An amazing look at the inner city by an extremely talented sociologist.

I loved this book. It's great for anyone that wants to learn about how different people live in the US.

excellent book related to social justice

Amazing Grace is a book about the hearts of children who grow up in the South Bronx - the poorest congressional district of our nation. Without rhetoric, but drawing extensively upon the words of children, parents, and priests, this book does not romanticize or soften the effects of violence and sickness. One fourth of the child-bearing women in the neighborhoods where these children live test positive for HIV. Pediatric AIDS, life-consuming fires, and gang rivalries take a high toll. Several children die during the year in which this narrative takes place. Although it is a gently written work, Amazing Grace makes clear that the postmodern ghetto of America is not a social accident but is created and sustained by greed, neglect, racism, and expedience. It asks us questions that are, at once, political and theological. What is the value of a child's life? What exactly do we plan to do with those whom we appear to have defined as economically and humanly superfluous? How tough do we dare to be?

I originally got this book for my college sociology course, and wasn't exactly looking forward to reading it (school readings never THAT fun haha), but it was actually great. A real eye opener

Older book but still relavant.