"Poverty and emotional hardship made palpable and gripping, yet by some miracle veined with comedy."

"Explores the different kinds of social institutions and incentives that nations have applied to encourage prosperity, economic development and elimination of poverty."

"This book is a call to individual and collective courage. Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, writes, ‘Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice.’ His work changed me."

"This is a nuanced and powerful novel about growing up, the mother-daughter relationship, female identity, sexuality, cultural dissonance, privilege, poverty and the pernicious legacy of colonialism. Kincaid’s style is both immediate and headily intense. A glinting, multifaceted work within relatively so few pages."

"Hart rose from grinding poverty in Brooklyn to the heights of Broadway success in writing and directing. Act One is easily the best show — business autobiography — a riveting story that risks promoting the foolish idea that if you chase your dream and never give in, you will succeed. Bull. A few will. Hart did."