Born on Third Base Blogpost

         Born on Third Base by Chuck Collins was a very interesting read. I did not read all of the book, but instead jumped around and read various chapters instead. Chuck Collins has a compelling story, and I admire his vocalism in discussing the increasing inequality of wealth and opportunity within the United States. Not only does he present us with this solemn information, but he suggests ways to fix this growing inequality between the rich and the poor. I  enjoyed his need for change and call for help throughout the book. His tone was inviting, positive, and motivating, which further encouraged the readers to want to make a difference. Collins tells stories of his past and isn’t afraid to make himself seem vulnerable to the readers.


         Of the chapters I skipped around and read through, a few sections stood out to me personally. One of my favorite chapters was the chapter titled "Proceed with Empathy." Collins said in this chapter, “How do we teach empathy? We treat them with empathy.” I think this quote is so simple and to the point that it makes it beautiful. It is so understated that learning is from doing, so to teach empathy to a society we must treat everyone with empathy. Another chapter I particularly liked reading was titled "All Hands on Deck." I like this chapter because he lays out bullet points of what he is urging his readings to do. This breaks up the big blocks of texts and makes it simple for the reader to take action. I agree with his need to organize and bring together communities, because change begins at the individual level, but is impactful on the group level. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people complain about a problem, but do nothing to attempt to fix the problem. I appreciate that Collins does not do this.