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wiisam's review against another edition
4.0
I think about this book more than I should (it just grinds me gears)
vkh123's review against another edition
4.0
This was horrifying especially the later chapters with emphasis on kids.
janetsavill's review against another edition
4.0
A difficult read given the subject matter. It's basically an in depth list of how people can fall through the cracks without the resources of family, community or care from the state.
But there is an important call to action and many uplifting stories that keep this book from being a downer. Still a relevant book even over a decade since publication.
But there is an important call to action and many uplifting stories that keep this book from being a downer. Still a relevant book even over a decade since publication.
slfergus's review against another edition
5.0
I can't say it any better than this review on the back of the book: "An essential book...It should be required reading not just for every member of Congress, but for every eligible voter." - The Washington Post Book World
3batsinatrenchcoat's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly this book was fantastic, I was kind of pulling my favorite quotes and making note of them as I went along and there were so many amazing ones. I think that Shipler did a fantastic job of digging around all ends of the working poor spectrum; he pulled insights from across all races and genders. From so many age groups (teens, adults, and kids). He looked into those who were addicts and those who weren't. Those who were born into poverty and those who were not.
He also took a look at and pointed out how environment, psychology, and financial situations were all interlinked and that usually one component factored into the others and has a hand in how the cycle of poverty is so hard to break because of this.
I feel like Shipler has a deep grasp and understanding on the topics he is discussing in this book.
He touches on some aspects that I hadn't even considered such as how it can be significantly harder to be poor in a rich country than it is to be poor in a poor country.
I think that what I loved the most about this book though was, "So I am rooting for them no doubt. But I have tried to see with clear eyes, not through an ideological lens. Indeed, devout conservatives and impassioned liberals will be bothered by this portrait of poverty, at least I hope so, for the reality I discovered does not fit neatly into anyone's political agenda. I want to challenge and undermine long standing assumptions at both ends of the spectrum."
He said it and he stuck to it. I love this approach because it comes at subjects with an open mind and a willingness to present facts as clearly, truthfully, and unbiased as possible. Which is the integrity that a lot of media seems to lack.
And I think that Shipler was successful with this. He pointed out how corporations and greed impact and worsen poverty but acknowledged some of the habits and pitfalls that people put themselves into that worsen their situations. And he does so without condemning either side.
I can respect this very much.
He also took a look at and pointed out how environment, psychology, and financial situations were all interlinked and that usually one component factored into the others and has a hand in how the cycle of poverty is so hard to break because of this.
I feel like Shipler has a deep grasp and understanding on the topics he is discussing in this book.
He touches on some aspects that I hadn't even considered such as how it can be significantly harder to be poor in a rich country than it is to be poor in a poor country.
I think that what I loved the most about this book though was, "So I am rooting for them no doubt. But I have tried to see with clear eyes, not through an ideological lens. Indeed, devout conservatives and impassioned liberals will be bothered by this portrait of poverty, at least I hope so, for the reality I discovered does not fit neatly into anyone's political agenda. I want to challenge and undermine long standing assumptions at both ends of the spectrum."
He said it and he stuck to it. I love this approach because it comes at subjects with an open mind and a willingness to present facts as clearly, truthfully, and unbiased as possible. Which is the integrity that a lot of media seems to lack.
And I think that Shipler was successful with this. He pointed out how corporations and greed impact and worsen poverty but acknowledged some of the habits and pitfalls that people put themselves into that worsen their situations. And he does so without condemning either side.
I can respect this very much.
jenergizer's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me feel uncomfortable, which is probably partly the point. The poverty line is a tough one to cross, particularly in a country that isn't really interested in helping people get up and out of a welfare state. Too often, it's easy to say "they just need to work harder", or "stop buying iPhones or cable (or insert other "luxury" here)". It's not as simple as not having cable. A single mother has a job, and her kids are in child care. One day, the car won't start after work. The kids are picked up late because Mom had to take the bus. There's a bill for the late child care, AND a bill for the car. Those kind of expenses have a ripple effect on the financial situation of people on the poverty line.
I remember well the days when I had less than $20 in my bank account, gas was almost $5/gallon, and I drove a car with poor gas mileage. Every week I'd wonder if I could get to work (bus service to my job was limited, complicated, and would have taken 2-3 hours). Carpooling with a coworker helped relieve my burden, but I often lived on basic food with little to no nutritional value to save a few bucks. Housing was 60% of my income and my credit card debt was through the roof.
I can't help but wonder if there will ever be a good solution to the issue.... it's not promising in this political climate!
I remember well the days when I had less than $20 in my bank account, gas was almost $5/gallon, and I drove a car with poor gas mileage. Every week I'd wonder if I could get to work (bus service to my job was limited, complicated, and would have taken 2-3 hours). Carpooling with a coworker helped relieve my burden, but I often lived on basic food with little to no nutritional value to save a few bucks. Housing was 60% of my income and my credit card debt was through the roof.
I can't help but wonder if there will ever be a good solution to the issue.... it's not promising in this political climate!
miriammim's review against another edition
4.0
A really good look at poverty and its myriad of causes. Shipler kept it interesting by weaving in honest stories of people who are struggling - some of which are flattering and others not so much but all of which put human faces on the causes and effects of poverty.
eloisealicegus's review against another edition
3.0
well-written, good look at different factors contributing to poverty.
vforvanessa's review against another edition
5.0
If a single cause were identified, a remedy might be readily designed. It would fit neatly into a liberal or conservative prescription. If either the system's exploitation or the victims' irresponsibility were to blame, one or the other side of the debate would be satisfied. If the reasons were merely corporate greed or government indifference or impoverished schools, then liberal solutions would suffice. If the causes were only the personal failures of parents and children, then conservative views would hold. But "repression is a seamless garment," as Salman Rushdie wrote. This is repression of a kind, and it lacks clear boundaries that would define the beginning and end of accountability.
This book reinforces what, I hope, is already known by the educated audience reading this review: "working harder" is seldom the solution to poverty, and those of us who are succeeding in middle or upper class lives have reached this point not just because of our own gumption but also because of some fortuitous combination of birth, wealth, positive role models, education, stable upbringing, and good luck.
Do the poor sometimes make bad choices? Of course, and we're introduced to many throughout the book. We also see how many of those cases are simply people who've never been taught any better, who've never had the education or good role models to learn parenting skills or workplace etiquette from, who lack the services accessible to those with even a little extra money (therapy, tutoring, babysitting, etc.). Yet others are doing everything right, but due to bad fortune - car problems, a sudden illness, etc. - find themselves struggling to make any progress.
Overall, an eye-opening read, even if you already acknowledge that the solutions to poverty are more complex than political talking points boil them down to. One single, easily-applied solution will never untangle the complex web of problems and disadvantages faced by people trying to pull themselves up into prosperity. Let's acknowledge that and hold our leaders to it next budget or election.