Poverty, by America

Reviews

Poverty, By America is a book that appeals to both the heart and the intellect. Desmond deftly combines intimate portrayals of poverty with a clarion call for systemic action. He is utterly convincing: we must all become poverty abolitionists. Urgent and accessible ... It's refreshing to read a work of social criticism that eschews the easy and often smug allure of abstraction, in favor of plainspoken practicality. Its moral force is a gut punch. [Desmond's] arguments have the potential to push debate about wealth in America to a new level ... The brilliance of Poverty, By America lies in Desmond's account of how government and social policy act in ways commensurate with his class-war thesis. Its texture is provided by effective storytelling, which illustrates that poverty has become a way of life. A fierce polemic on an enduring problem ... [Desmond] writes movingly about the psychological scars of poverty ... and his prose can be crisp, elegant, and elegiac. Desmond's electrifying pen cuts through the usual evasions and exposes the 'selfish,' 'dishonest' and 'sinful' pretence that poverty is a problem that America cannot afford to fix, rather than one it chooses not to. Short, smart, and thrilling. The thrill comes from the sheer boldness of Desmond's argument and his carefully modulated but very real tone of outrage that underlies his words. [T]hrough in-depth research and original reporting, the acclaimed sociologist offers solutions that would help spread America's wealth and make everyone more prosperous. A powerful polemic, one that has expanded and deepened my understanding of American poverty. Desmond approaches the subject with a refreshing candidness and directs his ire toward all the right places. Matthew Desmond writes with honesty, clarity and even occasional poetry about a scourge that should shame us all. Poverty, by America contains impeccable expert evidence but also the stories of human beings. It offers hope to all of us who still look to the USA for progressive imagination in our so unequal world. Reading Poverty, by America, I felt like Matthew Desmond was sitting at my kitchen table, explaining the complexities of poverty in a way I could completely understand. This book is essential and instructive, hopeful and enraging. Expand reviews