I Survived Capitalism and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: A Memoir

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A smart, funny and relatable memoir from the anticapitalist TikTok star about her journey growing up poor in Fresno, living paycheck to paycheck through multiple recessions, losing the love of her life to suicide, and finally creating a business of her own that functions as a compassionate alternative within capitalism. A smart, funny and relatable memoir from the anticapitalist TikTok star about her journey growing up poor in Fresno, living paycheck to paycheck through multiple recessions, losing the love of her life to suicide, and finally creating a business of her own that functions as a compassionate alternative within capitalism. Today Madeline Pendleton is a business owner and TikTok superstar with 1.7 million followers riveted to her takedowns of American capitalism and practical advice on making ends meet and getting ahead. But like so many of her listeners, Madeline used to struggle to get by. Raised by a punk dad and a goth mom in Fresno, California, she spent her teens intermittently homeless, relying on the kindness and spare couches of the local punk community to get by. By her twenties, she was drowning in student loans and credit card debt, working long hours and sick of her bosses treating her as disposable. Then her boyfriend, in despair over financial distress, died by suicide. Capitalism was literally killing her loved ones-she knew there must be a better way. Madeline decided to study the rules of capitalism, the game everyone is forced to play. She used what she learned to build a new kind of business, one rooted in an ethos of community care. She rebuilt her life and created a following of those who can't wait for a revolution to come to change their lives for the better. I Survived Capitalism is Madeline's story and essential reading for anyone searching for hope and stability in an unjust world.

Reviews

With punk optimism, cinematic storytelling, and a moral center undeterred by what everyone else does, this book presents the life and death money scenarios real people face. Madeline covers class, college recruiting, home ownership, and workplace rights with a brilliant sense of community and warmth.
Gabe Dunn, podcast host and author of Bad with Money

A witty and profound commentary on navigating the harsh terrain of poverty, inequality, class, and an oftentimes unforgiving, unfair financial system that all of us are forced to participate in. Drawing on her rich personal experiences and hard-won financial lessons, Pendletons path to financial stability is inspiring. This book is a transformative call to action to build a better, more just, equitable world.
Paco de Leon, host of the Weird Finance podcast and author of Finance for the People

"Madeline's life is unique yet wildly relatable to Millenials. Readers will be thoroughly engaged, as every hardship comes with a lesson that Madeline skillfully shares with us. A thought-provoking, mind-tingling reading experience." Mercury Stardust, the Trans Handy Ma'am and author of Safe and Sound

A vivid account of the many challenges millennials face while trying to make it in an unforgiving economy. . . Illuminating. . . Move on, Jim Cramer. Heres the real dealsmart, undaunted, and eminently wise.
Kirkus Reviews *starred review*

[Pendleton] shines in her idiosyncratic debut memoir-cum-finance guide. . . Pendleton is a penetrating critic of economic injustice and the shortcomings of traditional personal finance programs. . . Her substantial guidance on how to run an equitable business is a refreshing alternative to the lip service found in other manuals. . . This stands out from the pack.
Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

MADELINE PENDLETON is the CEO and founder of Tunnel Vision, an L.A.-based clothing company with a progressive, employee-centered approach to business. Madeline has a massive following on TikTok, where she shares stories and advice based on her experience growing up in California's punk scene, escaping poverty, and building a community-minded company.