I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Everything I Wish I Never Had to Learn About Money

It is not surprising given the brilliant nature of this book, that the author managed to survive the mean streets of Fresno while parenting herself, and then created a successful clothing company. What is surprising that she managed to do this while hiring and befriending people like herself who had not been given opportunities, perhaps because of their freakish appearance or independent attitudes. This is a remarkable book and primer for any young person trying to understand why it is so difficult to get ahead in this current economic climate. This book is about money; who has it and how to get it. It is also an astute critique of capitalism and who it leaves out. The bootstrap theory, thus is disproved at the same time it is proved by the success of the author.

The book is masterly organized by the memoir quality of the author’s struggles followed by a chapter detailing the lessons learned and how to navigate similar life experiences. The author, Madeline Pendleton has honed her craft as a blogger and Tik Tok personality. I am buying ten more copies of this book for all those who are struggling with coming to adulthood without a clue in what works in the real world.