Scratch Beginnings

Adam Shepard’s nonfiction book, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream (2008), was conceived and written as a rebuttal to the works of Barbara Ehrenreich, specifically Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch.

Shepard opens with an introduction presenting his premise that hard work and discipline can lead to material success, unlike the futility presented in Ehrenreich’s books. He intends to travel to a random city with just $25 and no place to live, in an attempt to work his way up to a stable existence, defining that as having $2,500, a car, and a furnished apartment.

He chooses Charleston, North Carolina by picking a city from a hat. He takes the train there, bringing a gym bag, a tarp, a sleeping bag, and the $25. He travels the unfamiliar streets at night and is accosted by many people asking for money or favors. He buys beer for a woman and is cheated out of 48 cents in the process. He eventually finds his way to a homeless shelter run by Crisis Ministries. Initially finding the place disgusting, he forces himself to follow through. He discovers that the shelter actually offers many services, but few of the homeless there take advantage of them.



Despite being warned about poor pay by a man named Sarge, Adam contacts a job agency, which brokers day work for him, usually as a laborer. This results in steady employment, but the pay is terrible—often just $4.50 an hour after the agency takes its cut, and the work is hard. Adam realizes that this works for some at the shelter because they can work a day or two when they need cash and then stop when they wish. Deciding he must get a more regular paycheck, he begins applying for any job in town. He also goes to the library to apply for jobs online, and he gets a caseworker at an employment agency as advised by Sarge. After he has submitted more than fifty applications, he grows frustrated and complains to friends at the shelter. They inform him that he will never be hired as long as his address is the homeless shelter. Adam and his new friend, Marco, plan to rent an apartment together, and Adam struggles to save as much money as he can. He begins doing odd jobs for George on Sundays.

At an interview for a job with a moving company, Adam can sense the owner, Curtis, has the same attitude about the homeless. Adam makes an impassioned speech, arguing that he is the best worker Curtis will ever encounter and that he would be foolish to pass this up. Impressed, Curtis offers him a job driving one of the moving trucks. Initially, Curtis gives him the worst truck in the fleet, an ancient rig with a stick shift that is always breaking down. Curtis wants to see if Adam is serious or if he will get frustrated and quit. Adam keeps showing up, impressing Curtis further with his work ethic. Marco moves to a different shelter, and Adam loses touch with him.

Adam soon has enough money to rent a place and to buy a used truck. He breaks his toe and has an expensive hospital bill, but Curtis moves him to office work while he recovers, so he keeps his job. He finds a place to live in the attic of a house owned by George’s friend. Adam begins working with Derrick; they bond instantly and become friends. They develop an easy and efficient working style that quickly gains them a reputation as a reliable crew. Adam also begins doing odd jobs for George again.



Adam helps Derrick's cousin, "Bubble Gum" or "BG," renovate a duplex, and then he moves in, renting the space. BG and Adam initially get along well, and BG joins their crew with the movers. However, BG begins to get on Adam’s bad side. He is an inconsiderate roommate, a poor worker, and he often borrows Adam’s truck without permission. Adam confronts BG about this behavior, and the confrontation devolves into a fistfight. BG easily defeats Adam and injures him. BG’s attitude changes. Feeling remorse for hurting Adam, he begins to improve his behavior. Improbably, BG and Adam become friends.

Suddenly, Adam is contacted by his family and learns that his parents are ill with cancer. He realizes that he must cut his experiment short, but is proud to state that it seemed to be headed towards success: He has $5,300 in savings, a furnished apartment, and he owns a truck.