Summary

Sanders begins his memoir by introspectively analyzing his upbringing to demonstrate exactly how his political agenda and personal ideology have formed. He first uses his childhood in Brooklyn, New York to show the reader the earliest formation of his political inclinations. Before moving onto his education in Chicago and his life in Vermont, he focuses heavily on the impact Brooklyn played in shaping his thinking.

Sanders recalls various memories to highlight the valuable lessons he took from his childhood such as reading with his older brother, playing games with his friends on the street, clothes shopping with his mother, and rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He notes that very early in his childhood he learned the importance of money in terms of social status; class distinctions were clear between kids who lived in apartment buildings and...