United audiobook cover - Thoughts on finding common ground and advancing the common good

United

Thoughts on finding common ground and advancing the common good

Cory Booker

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Biography & MemoirPolitics

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United
Core Philosophy+
Criminal Justice Reform+
Housing as a Human Right+
Environmental Stewardship+
Economic Injustice+
Driving Change+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
What realization did Cory Booker have after discovering his complex family heritage and meeting a white relative?
  • A. Political divisions are mostly based on economic class rather than race.
  • B. Making the world a better place requires understanding that all people are deeply connected.
  • C. The history of slavery in America can only be healed through strict legislative reform.
  • D. Genetic testing should be a mandatory part of understanding American history.
Question 2 of 9
How does Booker's father define the 'conspiracy of love'?
  • A. A secret political alliance aimed at passing civil rights legislation in New Jersey.
  • B. The unbreakable bond between family members that helps them overcome systemic racism.
  • C. The accumulation of countless positive actions by people across time that create today's opportunities.
  • D. A grassroots movement in Newark to support single mothers and at-risk youth.
Question 3 of 9
What did the story of Natasha Laurel, the IHOP waitress, demonstrate to Booker?
  • A. The immediate need to raise the federal minimum wage for tipped workers.
  • B. How the consequences of crime ripple outward to affect the livelihoods of innocent bystanders.
  • C. The importance of having 24-hour police presence outside late-night businesses.
  • D. Why single mothers are disproportionately represented in urban crime statistics.
Question 4 of 9
According to the text, what is a major secondary consequence of the United States pouring vast resources into the prison system?
  • A. A significant decrease in the national unemployment rate due to the creation of prison jobs.
  • B. The redirection of public funds away from critical areas like infrastructure and education.
  • C. An overpopulation of federal prisons compared to state-run facilities.
  • D. A dramatic drop in non-violent crimes like drug possession across the country.
Question 5 of 9
What did tenant rights advocate Frank Hutchins teach Booker about housing?
  • A. Housing should be considered a fundamental human right essential for dignity and security.
  • B. The best way to solve the housing crisis is to completely privatize public housing developments.
  • C. Rent control policies are the only effective way to stop gentrification in Newark.
  • D. Housing inequality can only be solved by moving low-income families to affluent suburbs.
Question 6 of 9
How did Leroy Edwards, a resident of Newark, embody the spirit of environmental stewardship?
  • A. He organized a city-wide recycling program for low-income apartment complexes.
  • B. He successfully sued the city to stop the construction of a polluting factory.
  • C. He used his stimulus check to buy a lawnmower and transform a dangerous, overgrown lot into a safe green space.
  • D. He led a protest that forced the mayor to plant thousands of trees in the inner city.
Question 7 of 9
What unconventional tactic did Booker and his team use to force the mayor to address violence in an apartment complex?
  • A. They organized a massive social media campaign that went viral across New Jersey.
  • B. They pitched a tent in the complex's courtyard and camped there until their complaints were heard.
  • C. They refused to pay city taxes until the police department increased its local patrols.
  • D. They hired private security using funds raised by local business owners.
Question 8 of 9
Why does the text argue that taxpayers ultimately pay the price for the low wages of restaurant workers?
  • A. Taxpayers must fund the government subsidies that keep food cheap and tips low, forcing workers to rely on taxpayer-funded food stamps.
  • B. Taxpayers are required to contribute to a federal fund that bails out failing restaurants in urban areas.
  • C. The government taxes tips at a much higher rate to compensate for the low baseline wage of $2.13 an hour.
  • D. Restaurant owners pass the cost of high property taxes directly to the consumers through mandatory service charges.
Question 9 of 9
What crucial lesson did Booker learn from Frank Hutchins during a neighborhood public gathering regarding tenant grievances?
  • A. You must always have a concrete solution ready before listening to a citizen's complaint.
  • B. Cutting people off to save time is a necessary evil when dealing with large, angry crowds.
  • C. Sometimes, simply listening to and truly seeing a person is more important than immediately fixing their problem.
  • D. Public gatherings are rarely effective; private meetings are the only way to achieve real change.

United — Full Chapter Overview

United Summary & Overview

United (2016) is the inspirational story of state senator Cory Booker’s lifetime spent fighting for the common good. From Ivy League classrooms to the roughest neighborhoods in Newark, New Jersey, Booker examines the big issues America faces up close. These blinks explore the depth and impact of these problems, and call on each one of us to work together in finding common ground. 

Who Should Listen to United?

  • Anyone interested in US-American politics
  • People who are passionate about criminal justice reform
  • Everyone from New Jersey

About the Author: Cory Booker

Cory Booker is a New Jersey state senator and was a Democratic candidate for the 2020 presidential race. Booker is a graduate of Stanford and a Rhodes Scholar, and holds a law degree from Yale. Before being elected to the state senate, he served as a councilman for and then mayor of Newark. According to the Wall Street Journal, Booker is just the twenty-first person to move directly from being a mayor to being a senator. 

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