IT’S TREVOR NOAH: Born a Crime

This book was recommended to me through a Facebook AP Lit & Lang Group. I highly recommend it as a good read and also will use excerpts for my classes. It’s all about perspective (and I don’t mean for this to sound “preachy”). As we think about 2020 and how “horrible” it’s been, we need to put some things in perspective. The next time I’m tempted to whinge about my house not being exactly what I wanted, I need to remind myself that I HAVE a house, many people in the world would consider it downright palatial, and I have the means to make it whatever I want. The next time I feel self-pity because I won’t see my daughter this Christmas and may not get together with any of my family, I need to remind myself that they are healthy and safe, living in their own “palaces” and this state is only temporary – for us – the privileged ones. The next time I’m tempted to criticize my mother’s parenting (which, honestly, rarely happens) or think I’m a “good mom”, I need to remind myself that neither of us ever had to push our children out of a moving car and tell them to run for their lives – because they were, literally, running for their lives. The next time I get frustrated with my “stupid toilet” that doesn’t flush properly, I need to be thankful that I have, not one – but two, toilets that flush. I have running water – hot AND cold water and when I turn on the tap, it will come out and I can drink it – straight from the tap. (I have been privileged to live in some countries where you can’t drink water from the tap.) The next time I’m sitting in a restaurant and tempted to complain that my meal isn’t prepared quite right or is “disappointing” or is “a rip-off” at that price, I need to remember: 1. I can go into that restaurant or virtually any restaurant in the world and just by a genetic accident, I may even receive special privileges just because of my skin color. 2. I can afford to be “ripped-off”. 3. I eat too much and too well and I don’t have to rely on what others consider “dog-bones” and suck the marrow out of them in order to get nutrition or even make a muddy paste to eat in order to feel “full.” The next time I read the proverb, “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” I’ll remember that, “What they don’t say is, ‘And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.’” Because it takes more than will and knowledge – it take some resources to succeed. If I am ever tempted to preen myself on being “color-blind”, I need to remind myself that I’m not and that “true color blindness” is not, necessarily, a good thing. The next time I think about “those people”, whoever “they” are, I need to remind myself that I don’t have their perspective. Not only have I never “walked a mile in their shoes” I never even tried them on long enough to walk around the store. Perspective. It’s a good thing. For a great perspective, read this book – which somehow takes some horrific realities and makes them interesting, thought-provoking, and even funny in the way only Trevor Noah can.

When Trevor Noah was on The Daily Show, I was delighted by his comedy and humane view of all kinds of topics. What struck me was also that such a young man was so wise. In reading, Born a Crime, I see why Trevor Noah became so wise at such a young age, besides his obvious intelligence. Growing up quickly in poverty, having a lack of opportunities, experiencing daily rampant overt racism, and witnessing his mother’s abuse (and near death) at the hand’s of his stepfather, among so many other things, Trevor Noah learned first-hand about life’s cruelties. Things that many people never learn to understand ever, potentially due to lack of experience. There were a lot of bright spots in Trevor Noah’s childhood and early adult years too. Already as a child and young adult, he showed an entrepreneurial spirit, which he put into action in his latter school years, engaging in various businesses. Those are but a few things shared in this book about Trevor Noah’s life, in South Africa, where, at that time, being born, part white, was to be the evidence of a crime, an intimate relationship between a white and a black person. I highly recommend this book to learn not only more about Trevor Noah but also to learn what life was like under apartheid in South Africa, and it is a quick read, with many details that bring the events to life.

I’ve been a fan of Trevor Noah for years now, and I loved his book when it was first released. As a teacher, now I’ve been able to share this version of the book with my students, without worrying about any curse words or the like. This version also adds a brief history of apartheid and compares it to Jim Crow Laws in the US, which I found to be such a good addition. There is also a good amount of vocabulary words to learn, without making the book difficult to read. Trevor is funny, poignant, and so relatable. There is so much to be learned from his life, and how he tells it. I recommend this book to youths and adults alike, seeing as it is a fun and simultaneously educational read. I hope it changes your perspective of what it’s like to live in a third world country, that even though we are different, our experiences are fundamentally the same.

This is an awesome read. I recommend this book be placed on the list of books to read for high school students. Mr. Noah provides hilarious insight into his personal experience growing up as a mixed person in South Africa during apartide. My teen picked up the book and could not put it down.

I am an 11 year-old writing this review beside my mother (who has added her 2 cents below): This book is a great (re)awakening and realisation for people to see that racism still exists and so does hunger, poverty and violence. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because it's very funny, perseverant, loving, caring and relatable. However, I felt that the biography didn't flow very well and it was showing different snippets of his life at random times. Though it's a great example for people to see that anything is possible. Even when you start out small, you can finish big, even on TV! I would recommend it though for slightly older readers because of the violence. However, Trevor Noah's comedies are hilarious, you should watch them! ***** Despite what my daughter has said above, this book must have been more enthralling than she portrays because twice a day, whenever she had read a bit, she would come and relay the story to me (us)..."you know Trevor......". We all definitely became well acquainted with Trevor and his family members as she shared bits and pieces of the story with us along the way - which makes me want to read it too!

Gives us a glimpse of Africa and it also made me realise it's similar to India..... Thank you Trevor for a well written book

A great read

Perfect for age 8+, especially in the age of BLM

Such a great book! My kids and I loved this one.

アメリカで大活躍のコメディアンTrevor Noah の自伝。南アフリカでは禁じられていた黒人と白人の混血児として産まれ、罪の子として育った日々が本当にドラマチックで一気読みしました。南アフリカの社会についてとても勉強になり、また彼をシングルマザーとして育てたアフリカ人のお母さんが実に魅力的で😍、この本に出会えた事に感謝です😃