Nonfiction

Poverty, by America

Poverty, by America

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  • Create Date：2023-03-10 00:19:49
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Matthew Desmond
  • ISBN：0593239911
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Summary

The Pulitzer Prize–winning， bestselling author of Evicted reimagines the debate on poverty， making a new and bracing argument about why it persists in America: because the rest of us benefit from it。

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2023: The Washington Post， Time， Esquire， Newsweek， Minneapolis Star Tribune， Elle， Salon， Lit Hub， Kirkus Reviews

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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Reviews

Karen ，

Matthew Desmond’s Poverty， By America poses a pointed question—why does the U。S。 have more poverty than any other advanced democracy？—with a powerful answer: because Americans let it happen。In 2017， Matthew Desmond won a Pulitzer Prize for his book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City， which followed the lives of eight struggling families in Milwaukee， Wis。 Desmond’s new book， Poverty， By America， revisits that familiar territory， this time examining the prevalence of poverty in a co Matthew Desmond’s Poverty， By America poses a pointed question—why does the U。S。 have more poverty than any other advanced democracy？—with a powerful answer: because Americans let it happen。In 2017， Matthew Desmond won a Pulitzer Prize for his book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City， which followed the lives of eight struggling families in Milwaukee， Wis。 Desmond’s new book， Poverty， By America， revisits that familiar territory， this time examining the prevalence of poverty in a country that is not lacking in resources to help those who need it。 He argues that poverty is a solvable problem， but the comfortable lives of privileged people are enabled by the exploitation of the poor。 Writing with urgency， Desmond makes a case for reform， and calls on all Americans to lead with empathy in this growing crisis。 。。。more

Kate Olson ，

（free review copy） Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City and Nickel and Dimed: On （Not） Getting by in America are the two nonfiction books that I think about the most often， even years （decades in the case of N&D） after reading them。 Both of these books give us an intimate look into the lives of people in the US living on the edge of financial survival and are absolutely infuriating with their depictions of how American society and systems oppress the poor。 Desmond and Ehrenreich are （free review copy） Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City and Nickel and Dimed: On （Not） Getting by in America are the two nonfiction books that I think about the most often， even years （decades in the case of N&D） after reading them。 Both of these books give us an intimate look into the lives of people in the US living on the edge of financial survival and are absolutely infuriating with their depictions of how American society and systems oppress the poor。 Desmond and Ehrenreich are very different authors， writing in very different times and had very different systems of researching and writing， but both of their books hit me hard and altered the way I interacted with our systems of wealth in America。 With Poverty， by America ， Matthew Desmond steps away from the intimate personal stories of Evicted and offers a searing manifesto on why such staggering poverty exists in America and how so many of us are complicit and actually profiting from the systems that exploit and disadvantage those living in poverty。 There aren't personal stories in this book and it's not the narrative style of Evicted that so many of us loved， but it's incredibly provocative regardless。 Desmond not only outlines what is wrong， but offers solutions for all of the issues。 The only catch？ These solutions will require everyone else to be a tiny less comfortable for the good of others。 Shocker: the wealthy need to actually pay taxes。 I made a list of the major ways I benefit from policies that harm those in poverty and I would give up all of my tax deductions， credit card rewards and more in a heartbeat if it meant that every family could be housed and every child had enough food。 I'm saddened at the fact that so many wouldn't be willing to， and that is what Desmond lays out for us ~ everyone not living in poverty is complicit in maintaining the status quo。 This is one of the rare advance copies that I immediately pre-ordered my own hardcover copy of so I can highlight and sticky note and read aloud to anyone I can hold captive。 The chapter on housing was the most upsetting to me， especially because of my already heated feelings about the FIRE movement and incredibly wealthy young people living off of profits made as landlords for the poor。 Desmond just added fuel to that （ahem） fire with his data and analysis of our devastatingly inequitable housing market in America。 We can do better。 We need to do better。 If we are profiting off the backs of those living in poverty， we are complicit in their suffering。 Desmond calls for us to become poverty abolitionists ~ reading this book is your first step on that journey。Source: Edelweiss digital review copy 。。。more

maddie （thenmaddieread） ，

Incisive， thorough， intersectional， and thought-provoking - if you thought you understood poverty in America， think again。 Desmond neatly and efficiently breaks down not just how the American poor are kept down， but how doing so keeps the rich getting richer。 It will inform you and infuriate you， and inspire you to keep learning and get engaged in your own community。 Thank you Random House and LibroFM for the ARC！

Tara Gold ，

Though this book was relatively short， especially compared to Evicted， I LOVED it。 Poverty， by America is a primer on poverty in America。 Desmond looks at common misconceptions about povery and systems that affect poverty while taking a "Poverty Abolishonist" approach to the issues at play。 He looks at everything from housing to banks and schools and taxes。 In particular， I liked his examination of the subsidies and "welfare" recieved by people in poverty vs。 those recieved by those in the middl Though this book was relatively short， especially compared to Evicted， I LOVED it。 Poverty， by America is a primer on poverty in America。 Desmond looks at common misconceptions about povery and systems that affect poverty while taking a "Poverty Abolishonist" approach to the issues at play。 He looks at everything from housing to banks and schools and taxes。 In particular， I liked his examination of the subsidies and "welfare" recieved by people in poverty vs。 those recieved by those in the middle/upper midde/upper classes， and how we percieve those subsidies。 I also liked that he was able to include some discussions of how the additional Covid assistance provided throughout the pandemic made an impact， and he related this to dicussions of the potential postive impact of a Universal Basic Income on all families。 Poverty is a complex issue without a simple solution， but Desmond does an excellent job here outlining the issue with statistics and evidence from policies across the US。 While he does offer some potential solutions， I wasn't expecting him to solve the issue in this book -- and he doesn't。 The chapters providing solutions do point at what Desmond thinks we should strive toward， but I felt like this was mostly to jolt those unfamiliar with these issues to consider how things that they have been conditioned to think are bad or unfair （such as universal basic income） are actually feasible goals。 Overall， I enjoyed that this book was short and to the point while also feeling comprehensive as an introduction to a topic we DESPERATELY need to be discussing more in this country。 I highly recommend this to everyone。 。。。more

Danni ，

😬🤔

Aaryn ，

Excellent and infuriating。

Angie ，

Matthew Desmond's latest is an impassioned look at why poverty persists in America--because the middle and upper classes benefit from it and our institutions and policies perpetuate it。 Most books about poverty focus on the lives of the poor （some excellent examples include The Working Poor by David Shipler， Random Family by Adrian Nicole Leblanc， the works of Alex Kotlowitz and Jonathan Kozol and Desmond's own Evicted）。 This book focuses on those who benefit from and exploit the poor--an import Matthew Desmond's latest is an impassioned look at why poverty persists in America--because the middle and upper classes benefit from it and our institutions and policies perpetuate it。 Most books about poverty focus on the lives of the poor （some excellent examples include The Working Poor by David Shipler， Random Family by Adrian Nicole Leblanc， the works of Alex Kotlowitz and Jonathan Kozol and Desmond's own Evicted）。 This book focuses on those who benefit from and exploit the poor--an important and necessary， and at times uncomfortable， position because it implicates most of its readers， too。 Desmond highlights the systems and policies that contribute to this exploitation--the tax code， banking systems， zoning laws， the difficulty of applying for and receiving assistance。 So a large percentage of us enjoy our free checking accounts and credit card rewards funded by exploitative overdraft and late payment fees charged to those less fortunate than us， vote and rally to prevent low income housing from being built in our neighborhoods， and enjoy our tax credits that mean a greater percentage of government aid is directed not toward those who need it most， but those who lobby the loudest and longest。 One of the most infuriating and enlightening parts of the book was how some of the policies and programs enacted during COVID made tremendous progress on reducing poverty。 But those gains were not publicized and so many of those policies （and their effects） were allowed to quietly lapse。 It furthers Desmond's argument that the United States can do so much more for poverty reduction， but our priorities lie elsewhere。 The strength of the book， the focus on those who benefit， is also somewhat of a weak point too。 In Evicted， Desmond personalizes and augments his points by highlighting the very real experiences of people caught in the eviction crisis。 By shifting the emphasis from the exploited to the exploiters， it results in the book， at times， reading like a firehose of statistics and numbers （though enlightening and horrifying numbers）。 Still， this book was often eye-opening and thought-provoking， frequently enraging， but also a clear， thorough， and impassioned call for change by someone who clearly understands and cares about his subject。 。。。more

Natalia Egan ，

Thank you NetGalley for a preview of this book in exchange for my honest review。 This was an eye opening and thought provoking read。 Highly recommend as it is neither dry or long as these types of books tend to be。 But Matthew Desmond is incredibly precise and relatable while being consistently relevant。 “ Tens of millions of Americans do not end up poor by a mistake of history or personal conduct。 Poverty persists because some wish it and will it to。”

Liz Hein ，

A very convincing call to become poverty abolitionists。 Desmond， again， persuasively debunks common rationalizations for why America has so many living in poverty。 Read this。

Emily ，

Matthew Desmond’s “Evicted” is one of the most impactful books I have ever read。 I was very excited to read “Poverty， by America，” which was also impactful， but in a different way。Instead of primarily using stories of people he knew and befriended to tell his story， Desmond has created an essay mostly filled with data and statistics on the breadth， causes of， and potential solutions for US poverty。 I was especially interested in his discussion of poverty abolition and what we can all do to get i Matthew Desmond’s “Evicted” is one of the most impactful books I have ever read。 I was very excited to read “Poverty， by America，” which was also impactful， but in a different way。Instead of primarily using stories of people he knew and befriended to tell his story， Desmond has created an essay mostly filled with data and statistics on the breadth， causes of， and potential solutions for US poverty。 I was especially interested in his discussion of poverty abolition and what we can all do to get involved。 While this book didn’t have the same emotional impact on me as “Evicted，” I still recommend this book。 。。。more

Morgan ，

Poverty， by America reframes the conversation on poverty。 While Desmond takes a different writing style from “Evicted”， it still manages to be a fantastic book。 Each chapter is very straight forward and easy for anyone with or without previous knowledge to understand。 Thank you to Crown Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。

Mark ，

Being poor sucks， and poverty in America exists largely because others - including you and me - benefit。 But great progress could be made in the fight against poverty， and it would cost less than you might think。 If you want more details， you won't go wrong reading Matthew Desmond's latest book。 It's a very good extended essay （and call to action） on poverty in America; however， if you want to feel （as opposed to learn about） what it's like to be poor in America you are better off with Desmond's Being poor sucks， and poverty in America exists largely because others - including you and me - benefit。 But great progress could be made in the fight against poverty， and it would cost less than you might think。 If you want more details， you won't go wrong reading Matthew Desmond's latest book。 It's a very good extended essay （and call to action） on poverty in America; however， if you want to feel （as opposed to learn about） what it's like to be poor in America you are better off with Desmond's masterpiece of narrative non-fiction， Evicted。Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance electronic copy of this title。 。。。more

Judy ，

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book: I am a fan of Desmond， having read his powerful， award winning book "Evicted"。 "Poverty" is also powerful。 Desmond clearly and powerfully describes the problem and the policies that have codified poverty and not addressed the ongoing issue。 The book is carefully researched and compelling as Desmond spells out the scope of the issue and the misguided policy decisions that have created intractable poverty。 While "Evicted" utilized stories Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book: I am a fan of Desmond， having read his powerful， award winning book "Evicted"。 "Poverty" is also powerful。 Desmond clearly and powerfully describes the problem and the policies that have codified poverty and not addressed the ongoing issue。 The book is carefully researched and compelling as Desmond spells out the scope of the issue and the misguided policy decisions that have created intractable poverty。 While "Evicted" utilized stories of individuals impacted by housing insecurity， Desmond doesn't use personal stories to anchor this book and I missed them。 Desmond suggests solutions to poverty， but these solutions did not have the power and scope of the portion of the book that showed how entrenched poverty was created in the US。 Still， this is a minor quibble。 This is a book that clearly documents how the US created poverty and has no current solutions。 It's a call to action and a resource。 It reads more like a text than "Evicted"， and essentially it's a book that should be utilized in education and policy。 。。。more

Danielle ，

In his previous book Evicted， Desmond dug deeply into the world of poverty and eviction in Minneapolis。 Now he expands on that to look at poverty as a whole。 He turns things on their head a little bit to look at who are the people， organizations， and systems that benefit from keeping people in poverty。 He also shares ideas for how he thinks we could change things in America to make it a more equal place for people to live。 I don't necessarily agree with all of his ideas， but I definitely think h In his previous book Evicted， Desmond dug deeply into the world of poverty and eviction in Minneapolis。 Now he expands on that to look at poverty as a whole。 He turns things on their head a little bit to look at who are the people， organizations， and systems that benefit from keeping people in poverty。 He also shares ideas for how he thinks we could change things in America to make it a more equal place for people to live。 I don't necessarily agree with all of his ideas， but I definitely think he provides some things to think about。 If only I thought there was hope that pointing any of this out would matter。 。。。more

Annie ，

This is a thoughtful， no-frills primer on poverty in America and the ways in which existing policies and perspectives affect everyone， rich and poor and in between。 Although Desmond refers to US examples and laws， the text is accessible and relevant to those of us who aren’t American。 Overall， I found myself relishing each page as a wealth of knowledge。 There is so much that struck me and took me aback， like the chapter on banking， which I suppose reflects my own privilege。 Desmond outlines the This is a thoughtful， no-frills primer on poverty in America and the ways in which existing policies and perspectives affect everyone， rich and poor and in between。 Although Desmond refers to US examples and laws， the text is accessible and relevant to those of us who aren’t American。 Overall， I found myself relishing each page as a wealth of knowledge。 There is so much that struck me and took me aback， like the chapter on banking， which I suppose reflects my own privilege。 Desmond outlines the scope of how poverty is subsidised and how exploitation of poor people benefits those who enjoy security and stability， and how these advantages are passed down through well-off families。 Each chapter is well thought out and easy to understand， and I particularly liked that he didn’t include many case studies but presented the information in a straightforward manner （just my own preference）。 He also concludes with some calls to action and proposes an alternative way of life that could be within reach， in which more people are able to stay afloat to nobody’s detriment。 I appreciated that Desmond doesn’t approach this topic in a patronising or academic tone， but rather presents the facts in a sobering way。 I highly recommend this short but deeply enlightening book to everyone。 I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Michelle ，

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy。Wow。Now， I am not surprised that this was amazing。 Evicted was amazing。 But I am just so impressed by how well done this was。 Desmond laid out the issues clearly and cogently， patiently disproved arguments against his take on the problems， and then laid out exactly what we need to do to finally improve the problem。 And in such a way that it made me want to make a sign and start marching and look up the Poor People's Campaign and get exci Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy。Wow。Now， I am not surprised that this was amazing。 Evicted was amazing。 But I am just so impressed by how well done this was。 Desmond laid out the issues clearly and cogently， patiently disproved arguments against his take on the problems， and then laid out exactly what we need to do to finally improve the problem。 And in such a way that it made me want to make a sign and start marching and look up the Poor People's Campaign and get excited about addressing poverty。 This was excellent; highly recommended。 。。。more

Erika ，

WOW。。。 still processing this book and will have to read it again。 SO much to absorb and definitely contemplate。I liked this more than Evicted。 I couldn't put it down - except to give myself some breathers to absorb all the information Matthew Desmond gives us。 Every paragraph builds off the last。 He explores every "excuse" people use typically to explain how poverty is a person's bad choices。 It leaves you with some changes to consider in your life and in the US's policy decisions。 Absolutely de WOW。。。 still processing this book and will have to read it again。 SO much to absorb and definitely contemplate。I liked this more than Evicted。 I couldn't put it down - except to give myself some breathers to absorb all the information Matthew Desmond gives us。 Every paragraph builds off the last。 He explores every "excuse" people use typically to explain how poverty is a person's bad choices。 It leaves you with some changes to consider in your life and in the US's policy decisions。 Absolutely devoured it。 I highly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about how our lowest income people struggle to get by paycheck-to-paycheck and how the system is set up to keep them struggling。 And， uncomfortably， how those of us who don't struggle in that way benefit by keeping those who do in that position。 We quite literally can be comfortable and well-off BECAUSE of the exploitation of the country's poorest people。 。。。more

bookme4life ，

ARC

tpg0 ，

As an AI language model， I'm not able to review books。 However， the book "Poverty， by America" could potentially deal with the issue of poverty in the United States。 It could explore the causes， consequences， and possible solutions to this problem。 It might also examine the social， economic， and political factors that contribute to poverty and how they impact individuals， families， and communities。 Moreover， it could highlight the experiences and voices of people who live in poverty， making their stories and struggles visible and understandable to readers。

tpg1 ，

As an AI language model， I cannot provide a personal opinion on a specific book。 However， 'Poverty in America' is a pressing issue， and there are many books， articles， and reports available that address it。 Understanding poverty can help create awareness and insight into the issue and possible solutions。

tpg2 ，

As an AI language model， I do not have personal opinions or views on books or any topics。 Nonetheless， "Poverty in America" by the author（s） could be an insightful read for those interested in examining the multi-dimensional nature of poverty in the United States。 The book could likely provide a historical and current overview of how poverty manifests across different demographics and geographical regions in the United States。 It may also offer potential solutions and policy implications to address poverty in America。

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Poverty, by America

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Poverty, by America&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Poverty, by America&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0