Scan barcode
gothhotel's review against another edition
5.0
Essential reading. A grind, for the most part, but not by any fault of the author. Predictably, the story of eviction is brutal, bleak, unrelenting. Here it’s laid out in sharp detail, backed by strong research and presented without sensationalization or sanctimony. The writing is clear and effective, with a few minor exceptions (“the sky was the color of a flat beer”? really?). It works. And it works on you: I had to take multiple breaks just to breathe and get away from the constant parade of systems designed to fail. Hostile bureaucracy, tight-fisted “welfare” programs, the impossible and unending calculus of staying afloat, and simple shit luck, just when you find a rhythm they cut your hours and you’re back out. Desmond puts the blame where it belongs, but the policy arguments don’t come out much until the end: the stories say it all.
thelibrarian390's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very eye-opening read. I'm an audiobook user so sometimes the jumping around of stories got a little confusing, but that's my fault, not Matt's. I would definitely suggest everyone read this. It's a great narrative nonfiction. You learn without realizing you're learning.
It was interesting to see the difference a little help made in a few lives. As always race was a huge factor and this really does show a lot of the disparity and differential treatment just because of the color of a person's skin.
It was interesting to see the difference a little help made in a few lives. As always race was a huge factor and this really does show a lot of the disparity and differential treatment just because of the color of a person's skin.
curiouslyjade's review against another edition
5.0
Completely eye-opening for me and allowed me to better understand housing and eviction. I think I'll reflect back on this book as one of the turning points in my understanding of the nation. Desmond's accounts of each individual are compassionate, complex, and captivating.
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
4.5
I could probably talk about this topic for close to 418 pages myself. Desmond brings up several good points, could have followed some of them farther into a discussion, but seems to have left the points there for the reader to ponder. As he mentioned, we can't build our way out of this problem; however, not building affordable housing is making things exponentially worse. One issue that stays with me is the issue with calling 911. If a tenant (usually female) has an abusive partner and calls 911, the landlord can be fined for excessive calls. So, the landlord tells the tenant not to call or evicts them. But then law enforcement pops up at press conferences for domestic abuse victims and says "oh if only they had contacted us!" Maybe we should quit victim blaming and questioning victims and start being tougher on abusers in the first place? Maybe we should streamline a lot of the systems we expect those in need to work through to get assistance? Lots of maybes going on here.
zachnachazel's review against another edition
5.0
I don't think a book has ever made me feel so privileged, and thankful for what I have. Desmond immerses himself in a world I have heard about, but have never experienced, and really brings you into the contexts of landlords, and tenants of the Milwaukee impoverished.
nmupp1324's review against another edition
5.0
First off, Desmond is an amazing author. He interweaves facts and personal stories from tenants to explain the problem. I read this book last year, but it was an amazing read. Never got around to writing about it. The housing system in America is terrible; this is old news, but I had no idea just how bad it is until I read this book. The systems that are in place actively try to keep people homeless. Tenants are evicted with very little protection from the government. The protection that is there has layers of bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo, making it inaccessible to people who are living paycheck to paycheck. It's disheartening.
Desmond was "on the frontlines" with these families that were forced to pay almost 80% of their income on rent! It's egregious and sounds like something out of a horror story. The families that he talked about were suffering because of it. I'm astounded at just how bad the system is.
Desmond was "on the frontlines" with these families that were forced to pay almost 80% of their income on rent! It's egregious and sounds like something out of a horror story. The families that he talked about were suffering because of it. I'm astounded at just how bad the system is.
rgardull's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing read. Masterfully written. I have nothing bad to say, the stories and struggles are real. You won't regret it.