200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Poverty, by America

By Matthew Desmond
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.27 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 58,005 ratings, 8,037 reviews)
Brief Description
A searing study of American poverty from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted. The United States is the richest country on earth, yet has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. One in seven Americans live below the poverty line, a line which hasn't shifted over... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2700
Elsewhere:
$3000
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A searing study of American poverty from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted.

The United States is the richest country on earth, yet has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. One in seven Americans live below the poverty line, a line which hasn't shifted over the last fifty years, despite the efforts of successive governments. Why is there so much scarcity in this land of dollars?

In Poverty, by America, acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond examines American poverty today and the stories we tell ourselves about it. Spanning social isolation, mass incarceration, the housing crisis, domestic violence, crack and opioid epidemics, welfare cuts and more, Desmond argues that poverty does not result from a lack of resources or good policy ideas. We already know how to eliminate it. The hard part is getting more of us to care.

To do so, we need a new story. As things stand, liberals explain poverty through insurmountable structural issues, whereas conservatives highlight personal failings and poor life choices. Both abdicate responsibility, and ignore the reality that the advantages of the rich only come at the expense of the poor. It is time better-paid citizens put themselves back in the narrative, recognizing that the depth and expanse of poverty in any nation reflects our failure to look out for one another. Poverty must ultimately be met by communityβ€”all this suffering and want is our doing, and we can undo it.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141998794

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 March 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 225g

Pages: 304

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Biography & Memoir Education & Reference Gifts $20-$50 In Stock Books Matthew Desmond Non-Fiction Penguin Books Tim's Picks

About the Author

Matthew Desmond is the Maurice P. During Professor of Sociology at Princeton and a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine. A MacArthur Fellow, Desmond is a leading expert on poverty, homelessness and public policy. His previous book Evicted- Poverty and Profit in the American City reached millions of readers worldwide, won numerous awards - including the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award - and inspired significant changes in American public policy. Politico has named Desmond one of the 50 people across the United States who are most influencing the national debate.

Also by Matthew Desmond

View all
  • On Sale
    23% off
    Evicted
    Evicted by Matthew Desmond takes readers into the desperate and harsh realities of those living in poverty in contemporary America. This gripping narrative explores the precariousness of their everyday lives as they struggle to hold onto one of the most basic human necessities: a place to call home. The book provides an intimate look at the lives of eight families...
    By Matthew Desmond
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from Education & Reference

View all
  • Revenge of the Tipping Point
    Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light. What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do elite universities care so much about sports? What is...
    By Malcolm Gladwell
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Body Keeps the Score
    The Body Keeps the Score by Dr Bessel van der Kolk is a compelling and compassionate exploration of the deep-seated impact of trauma on the human body and mind. This groundbreaking work delves into the complex causes of trauma and paints a vivid picture of the revolutionary treatments that are enabling countless individuals to reclaim their lives filled with purpose...
    By Bessel van der Kolk
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Song of the Birds
    A stunning and panoramic history of native birds in Aotearoa, from the bestselling author of The Meaning of Trees For millions of years, the song of the birds echoed throughout Aotearoa, with no one around to hear it. While the arrival of humans would transform their story forever - birds may have changed us even more. In this beautiful and...
    By Robert Vennell
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    12% off
    Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    One Last Question, Prime Minister
    From Muldoon to Luxon, untold stories from the House of Parliament Barry Soper has spent close to five decades questioning New Zealand's prime ministers.From the imposing, larger-than-life characters of Rob Muldoon and David Lange, to the golden age of Helen Clark and John Key, and the post-Covid era of Jacinda Ardern and the 'Chrises', Soper's insight and nose for a...
    By Barry Soper
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Kitchen Confidential
    The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. β€˜Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ β€” A.A. Gill β€˜Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ β€” Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...
    By Anthony Bourdain
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    American Hagwon
    β€˜Profoundly generous and humane’ DOUGLAS STUARTβ€˜Engrossing … brilliantly imagined’ COLM TΓ“IBÍNβ€˜Breathtaking … I adored it’ ELIF SHAFAKβ€˜Extraordinary’ TARA WESTOVERMin Jin Lee, the acclaimed author of Pachinko, returns with a breathtaking contemporary epic that follows one family as they reckon with personal dreams and familial duty. John and Helen Koh and their three children – Bo, DH and Mido – are...
    By Min Jin Lee
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    23% off
    1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four
    In the drab and oppressive world of 1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell introduces us to Winston Smith, a man haunted by the omnipresent surveillance and control exercised by the Party and its enigmatic leader, Big Brother. Winston works diligently at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to alter historical records to fit the ever-changing narrative dictated by the...
    By George Orwell
    Paperback
    $1000
    Usually:
    $1299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Lucky You're Tough
    New Release
    Lucky You're Tough
    Lucky You're Tough chronicles the early life of helicopter pilot and NZSAS soldier Mark Law, from growing up in the rural wilds of Whangamōmona through to surviving a series of life-threatening events that would shape his life and career. After a career as a badged soldier in the NZSAS that led to an intriguing stint with the British SAS and...
    By Ron Crosby and Mark Law
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Hormone Health is Mental Health
    On Sale
    15% off
    New Release
    Hormone Health is Mental Health
    Hormone Health is Mental Health is a lifechanging guide to understanding perimenopause and midlife women's mental health - and how understanding your hormones is the first step to feeling like yourself again. This book is for women in their thirties, forties, and fifties who feel like they're falling apart. Women who feel like their brains and bodies are betraying them,...
    By Dr Fatima Khan
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Age Code
    What if the food you eat could rewind your biological clock? 'Clear and compelling' β€” Chris van Tulleken 'Really interesting and insightful' β€” Joe Wicks 'Fascinating' β€” Tim Spector From the rising incidence of cancer in the under-50s to increased infertility rates, there are signs everywhere that growing numbers of us are ageing too quickly. Why? Many believe there’s one...
    By David Cox
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Explosive Child [Sixth Edition]
    The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, PhD, now in its revised and updated sixth edition, delves deeply into a revolutionary, research-based approach to understanding and parenting children who frequently display severe fits of temper and other challenging behaviours. Penned by a distinguished clinician and pioneer in addressing the needs of children with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties, this ground-breaking...
    By Ross W Greene, PhD
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Disappearers
    New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    The Disappearers
    Marlon James's triumphant return to the Booker Prize-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings 'Darkness is a mood in Jamaica . . .' The Disappearers is Marlon James's triumphant return to the Jamaica of A Brief History of Seven Killingsβ€”a place of heat and chaos, and of danger for anyone outside the heteronormal. So when eight gay men meet for...
    By Marlon James
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.