Born a Crime
by Trevor Noah · 2016
Trevor Noah's take on self-improvement, the honest verdict is below.
Worth reading? Trevor Noah's story of growing up mixed-race under apartheid, told funny and sharp. Read it for the laughs and the history you didn't get in school. Skip it if you want a tight political argument, this is vignettes, not a thesis.
| Author | Trevor Noah |
|---|---|
| Published | 2016 |
| Category | Biographies & Memoirs |
| Favorite quote | “People love to say, 'Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime.' What they don't say is, 'And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.'” |
The Verdict
Trevor Noah’s story of growing up mixed-race under apartheid, told funny and sharp. Read it for the laughs and the history you didn’t get in school. Skip it if you want a tight political argument, this is vignettes, not a thesis.
anyone weighing whether Born a Crime belongs on their self-improvement and psychology shelf
you want a different angle than Trevor Noah's
Top 8 Lessons from Born a Crime
- Apartheid made his very existence illegal, which is the 'crime' of the title.
- His mother's stubborn faith and defiance were the engine of his survival.
- Language was leverage; speaking multiple tongues let him move between worlds.
- Humor was armor against a system built to crush him.
- Poverty in South Africa and America feel different but share the same shame.
- A mother who refuses to treat you as a victim raises someone who isn't one.
- Being 'between' groups teaches you to read everyone and belong to none.
- Small absurdities of apartheid reveal how absurd the whole system was.
Top 3 Quotes from Born a Crime
"People love to say, 'Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime.' What they don't say is, 'And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.'"
Trevor Noah, Born a Crime
"Language, even more than color, defines who you are to people."
Trevor Noah, Born a Crime
"In society, we do horrible things to one another because we don't see the person it affects. We don't see their face or know their story, and if we're not careful, we come to see them as less than human."
Trevor Noah, Born a Crime
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Born a Crime worth reading?
Yes. It's funny, moving, and teaches apartheid history through one wild childhood.
What is the main idea of Born a Crime?
Trevor Noah's mixed-race childhood under apartheid, told through stories of survival and his mother's grit.
Who should read Born a Crime?
Fans of memoir, comedy, and readers who want history with a human face.
Is Born a Crime sad or funny?
Both. Noah tells brutal stories with a comedian's timing, so it lands lighter than it should.
Ready to read it?
Get Born a Crime on Amazon
