What readers think of Poverty, by America, plus links to write your own review.

“Poverty, by America” by Matthew Desmond does much research and pulls no punches. It will rev up those who blame poor people for their problems unfairly and prematurely. His previous work, “Evicted,” exposed issues in the rental industry and showed why no easy answers existed. He also reveals why both sides of the political aisle have faults in addressing disadvantages.

We live in a world where people do not trust statistics. The most important one is the percentage of increase in salary compared to the higher average rental property. From 1985 to 2022, median household income increased by 216 while home prices rose by 423. If you scoff at last, realize how hard it is to break the renting cycle.

Rent prices, since 1985, have exceeded income gains by 325 percent, making saving for a down payment on a home problematic to anyone trying to live the American Dream. Desmond talks about things as simple as how reproductive choice (birth control pills, specifically) increased the educational levels of women and how home ownership led to financial freedom, benefitting the whole society.

Desmond’s plan is ambitious and reminds us that most Americans vote in a way that benefits them personally, leaving the intent to help people experiencing poverty and integrate housing out to dry. The division of this nation is a problem because everyone thinks that only one side does it. Read the reviews of this. People did not even try.

No regular American comes off as innocent here. Some politicians give breaks to the rich when so many desperately need much more. Other ones talk about a good game and then do nothing about it. They want integration, but not in their backyard. You may agree or disagree but do not doubt how much Desmond has devoted to the topic.

No matter where you are on the political spectrum, this book will make you think. It might make you cry. It might make you angry. But I can almost guarantee that you will have some visceral reaction to it.

Approach it with an open mind, and it could very well change how you view poor people and—are you ready for this?—your own guilty role in keeping them poor.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond, a professor of sociology at Princeton University, this book examines not only why there is so much poverty in the United States, but also how to eliminate it. It is filled with facts and footnotes, but it is also a bit preachy in parts—and that righteous preachiness is exactly what it will take for most of us to sit up and pay attention.

Think poverty isn't that big of a problem? Think again. The United States is the richest country in the world with more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Almost one in nine Americans (and one in eight children) live in poverty. And while Desmond details the surprising figures, that is only the beginning.

The real shocker of this book is the answer to two big questions: WHY is there so much poverty? WHO is to blame for it? The answer is me. And you. Are you scoffing at that? I would have, too, before I read this book. Desmond lays out clear, concise, and tough-to-argue-against assertions about how some lives are made small and poor so others may grow big and rich.

He also offers real and thoughtful solutions to poverty that are both innovative and obvious—and just might work. And even though his ideas will not raise the federal budget deficit, they will require new policies, renewed political movements, and a real effort from each of us, all of which will be difficult to enact in this polarized political environment in which we are living now.

Find out:
• How wealthier people benefit from poverty in myriad ways.

• How most big companies seek new ways to limit their obligations to workers. Exhibit A is the growth of gig jobs that come with no benefits and often come with expenses the worker must bear.

• Who receives the highest amount of money from the government in entitlements, tax breaks, and subsidies. (Spoiler: It's not the poor.)

• Why so many poor people do not take advantage of government programs to which they are fully entitled. Billions in dollars of allocated aid is never claimed.

• How giving choices to poor people is the antidote to exploitation.

• Specific things you can do to become a "poverty abolitionist." Warning: This isn't easy.

Read it if you are brave enough!