I thought Born on Third Base was very informative. I was shocked to hear Collins was the great-grandson of Oscar Mayer and gave away all his inheritance. I feel like there are very few people in the world who would donate such a hefty sum rather than keep it for themselves. I was also surprised by how young he was at when he did this, and wondered if he was maybe being a little naïve. It was interesting to read his thought process and learn what he did from that point forward.
Collins mentions a lot of numbers in his book, numbers that made me stop and go back to them to make sure I had read them right. I cannot believe that as United States citizens, we are within the top 5 to 10 percent globally. Because of the wealth in Europe, Australia, and some South American and Asian countries, I assumed we would be a little lower on the scale. I also was unaware that being above the U.S. median income of $55,000 means that we are a part of the top 2% globally. That is crazy! It made me reflect on how privileged we are, and how the amount of poverty in our country is a slim piece of pie compared to the amount of poverty around the world.
I also really liked Collins’ chapter about travelling in Maine with Bill Gates, Sr. campaigning for the estate tax. I do not know much about the different taxes we have to pay as Americans, so it was interesting to learn about people opposing this specific tax. Gates made an important point that people didn’t become wealthy on their own, they got there with the help of someone else. I feel like this is often forgotten, and the rich feel entitled to a wealth that they couldn’t have made on their own. I’m going to remember this as I begin my own career and have my own income, and am grateful for those around me who have helped me get here.
When I googled Collins, I was happy to see that he now directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Change in Washington, D.C. He’s extremely passionate about the work he does to address inequality, and I couldn’t imagine a better person for the job.
