Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond explores the pervasive issue of poverty in the United States, delving into the root causes, societal implications, and potential solutions. Desmond provides a comprehensive analysis of poverty, shedding light on the link between investments in social programs and poverty rates, the impact of exploitation on both workers and consumers, and the systemic issues perpetuating poverty in the country. Through detailed examples and compelling narratives, Desmond paints a vivid picture of the struggles faced by the working class and the marginalized communities, while also offering a call to action for collective change and economic stability.
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From The Publisher:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted reimagines the debate on poverty, making a "provocative and compelling" (NPR) argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it.
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Oprah Daily, Time, The Star Tribune, Vulture, The Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Public Library, Esquire, California Review of Books, She Reads, Library Journal
"Urgent and accessible . . . Its moral force is a gut punch."- The New Yorker
Longlisted for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award
Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal
The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages?
In this landmark book, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor. Those of us who are financially secure exploit the poor, driving down their wages while forcing them to overpay for housing and access to cash and credit. We prioritize the subsidization of our wealth over the alleviation of poverty, designing a welfare state that gives the most to those who need the least. And we stockpile opportunity in exclusive communities, creating zones of concentrated riches alongside those of concentrated despair. Some lives are made small so that others may grow.
Elegantly written and fiercely argued, this compassionate book gives us new ways of thinking about a morally urgent problem. It also helps us imagine solutions. Desmond builds a startlingly original and ambitious case for ending poverty. He calls on us all to become poverty abolitionists, engaged in a politics of collective belonging to usher in a new age of shared prosperity and, at last, true freedom.
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1 comment(s)
I enjoyed the early structure of this book where one section is layered so well upon the others for some compelling points. Many of the author’s suggestions will be considered radical despite making sense. That label will be used to ignore this issue and untimely deepen inequality and poverty.
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