Books That Inspire 2002
 
Twenty Years at Hull-House
Jane Addams


Twenty Years at Hull House by Jane Addams is the narrative of a realized philanthropic vision that began with one woman's desire to help immigrant workers in Chicago's West Side slums. I return to this book again and again when I need inspiration as a teacher or when my own compassion for others needs to be strengthened by Addams's legacy. Like Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives, Twenty Years at Hull House challenged the social conscience of a nation and continues to do so. Addams repeatedly inspires me through her ability to tell, with such humility, the story of the people whose lives were transformed as a result of the social movement generated by this remarkable woman.
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Susan L Kates
Associate Professor
English