by Juvoni Beckford@juvoni
Before readingWhy I picked it up
Comedians are some of the smartest people out their and are unrated for their perspective on life. I've been inspired by Trevor from his work on TV and some people have told me they notice parallels between his life story and mine, so I wanted to check this book out.
After readingPosted
Wow! What a life! (thus-far). Trevor Noah, shares stories of his childhood growing up in South Africa during the tail-end of apartheid. Being born, half black, half white, he was Born a Crime under the racist laws of apartheid.
The lessons on the journey finding one's identity and cultivating craftiness and ingenuity through numerous hustles from a young age to survive were very relatable and inspiring. You can do a lot with a little, but you need a little to start with. You can teach a man to fish, but if he doesn't have a fishing road, he can't fish, Noah beautifully communicated reflecting on the huge gaps between rich and poor in his country. Because of his mixed race, he was classed as "colored", which made him an outcast, but slight privileges he would find. What connected him with many people was that he learned to speak many different languages. “Language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.”
Born a Crime has so much richness and depth to it. It was funny, wise, outrageous. crafty and fearless. Much of Noah's story, was shared with the story of his mother, Patricia. In this story, they both grow together, like partners, it's a coming of age them against the world.
Three reasons to read it
- How to make the most out of your life circumstances.
- Powerful story to relate to by those who grew up with immigrant parents.
- The power of a loving mother.
Notable quotesTrevor NoahMore in Quotes
We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most. Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer. Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to.
We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited.
Comfort can be dangerous. Comfort provides a floor but also a ceiling.
People love to say, “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” What they don’t say is, “And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.” That’s the part of the analogy that’s missing.
Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.
Notes for this book are still being transcribed.
