A review by alyssalizarraga
The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler

4.0

It is my hope that no American needs to be told that our country runs on the labor of the underpaid. If I am wrong and this is a novel concept, fine. Let’s educate. If I’m correct and everyone is already aware, a much bleaker portrait of our national will is painted. Shipler presents his case for reform by following the lives of some of the lowest-paid workers in America as they recall the interconnected factors that led them to (or kept them from escaping) poverty. Was it the nature of the system or themselves? Was it the nurture (or lack thereof) of their families or the overextended public programs? Was it all of the above, and is there any way to separate any of it?

While I wouldn’t claim that this book provides a groundbreaking perspective on poverty, it does serve as an important insight into the complexities of class in America. I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks that the responsibility of poverty lies solely within either the individual or the government.