Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Author(s): Matthew Desmond

General Non-Fiction

Description: "Essential. A compelling and damning exploration of the abuse of one of our basic human rights: shelter." (Owen Jones). Arleen spends nearly all her money on rent but is kicked out with her kids in Milwaukee's coldest winter for years. Doreen's home is so filthy her family call it 'the rat hole'. Lamar, a wheelchair-bound ex-soldier, tries to work his way out of debt for his boys. Scott, a nurse turned addict, lives in a gutted-out trailer. This is their world. And this is the twenty-first century: where fewer and fewer people can afford a simple roof over their head. From abandoned slums to shelters, eviction courts to ghettoes, Matthew Desmond spent years living with and recording the stories of those struggling to survive - yet who won't give up. A work of love, care and humanity, Evicted reminds us why, without a home, nothing else is possible. It is one of the most necessary books of our time. "This is an extraordinary and crucial piece of work. Read it. Please, read it". (Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of Random Family). "Sensitive, achingly beautiful". (Robert D. Putnam, author of Our Kids).


Review: This is an extraordinary and crucial piece of work. Read it. Please, read it -- Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of RANDOM FAMILY This sensitive, achingly beautiful ethnography should refocus our understanding of poverty in America on the simple challenge of keeping a roof over your head. -- Robert D. Putnam, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard, and author of BOWLING ALONE and OUR KIDS Evicted is astonishing-a masterpiece of writing and research that fills a tremendous gap in our understanding of poverty. Taking us into some of America's poorest neighborhoods, Desmond illustrates how eviction leads to a cascade of events, often triggered by something as simple as a child throwing a snowball at a car, that can trap families in a cycle of poverty for years. Beautiful, harrowing, and deeply human, Evicted is a must read for anyone who cares about social justice in this country. I loved it. -- Rebecca Skloot, author of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS


 


 


Author Biography: 2015 MacArthur 'Genius' award winner Matthew Desmond is an associate professor of sociology and social science at Harvard University and co-director of the Justice and Poverty Project. He is the author of the award-winning book On The Fireline and his writing has appeared in The New York Times and Chicago Tribune.

$55.00 NZD

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Product Information

General Fields

  • : 9780241260852
  • : Penguin Books, Limited
  • : Penguin Books, Limited
  • : 0.704
  • : March 2016
  • : 3.8 Centimeters X 16.2 Centimeters X 24 Centimeters
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Matthew Desmond
  • : BB
  • : BB
  • : 1
  • : 1
  • : English
  • : English
  • : 339.4/60973
  • : 339.4/60973
  • : 432
  • : 432