JanB's Reviews > Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

This is what poor looks like in America. It’s not a pretty picture. There’s no question we have a flawed system, and the cycle continues with no way out for those who are caught up in poverty and substandard living conditions. There are no heroes in this book, neither the tenants or the landlords. There are situations that will break your heart, and situations that will infuriate you. It’s easy to judge the poor but unless we’ve walked in their shoes I think we’d do better to try and understand how and why it happens, and what we as a society can and should do to remedy the problem.

The poor that are described in these pages have no safety net, no mentor, and no family support. It is literally impossible for them to escape. No one escapes poverty alone. The system is rigged against them, and, by far, the majority who end up evicted are women and children. They don’t always make wise choices. But, still, even when I was angry or disgusted, I thought…there but for the grace of God...

The author, who is a sociologist, not only did research for this book, he actually lived among them. He didn’t just interview them, he immersed himself in their lives. I didn’t learn this until the epilogue and I wish I had known that beforehand. The epilogue was outstanding.

Highly recommended. It certainly opened my mind - and my heart. And that's why it gets 5 stars. It should be required reading by everyone.