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SoBrief
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Evicted
by Matthew Desmond • 2016
Poverty isn't the cause of eviction. Eviction is the cause of poverty, and the market profits.
4.47
115k+
Evicted Summary
Evicted 92%
Poverty isn't the cause of eviction. Eviction is the cause of poverty, and the market profits.
by Matthew Desmond 2016
4.47
115k+ ratings
Invisible Child
by Andrea Elliott • 2021
Born homeless in Brooklyn, Dasani gets one shot: a boarding school that accepts one in ten.
4.70
20k+
Invisible Child Summary
Invisible Child 91%
Born homeless in Brooklyn, Dasani gets one shot: a boarding school that accepts one in ten.
by Andrea Elliott 2021
4.70
20k+ ratings
The New Urban Crisis
by Richard Florida • 2017
Why urban revival is driving inequality and pushing out the middle class.
3.49
1k+
The New Urban Crisis Summary
The New Urban Crisis 91%
Why urban revival is driving inequality and pushing out the middle class.
by Richard Florida 2017
3.49
1k+ ratings
American Apartheid
by Douglas S. Massey • 1993
The ghetto was engineered. Segregation, not class or culture, makes black poverty permanent.
4.13
2k+
American Apartheid Summary
American Apartheid 91%
The ghetto was engineered. Segregation, not class or culture, makes black poverty permanent.
by Douglas S. Massey 1993
4.13
2k+ ratings
Improving Poor People
by Michael B. Katz • 1995
Why America keeps trying to fix the poor instead of poverty, and what history reveals.
3.83
12
Improving Poor People Summary
Improving Poor People 91%
Why America keeps trying to fix the poor instead of poverty, and what history reveals.
by Michael B. Katz 1995
3.83
12 ratings
The Promised Land
by Nicholas Lemann • 1991
The mechanical cotton picker displaced millions, and the cities they fled to were never the same.
4.24
798
The Promised Land Summary
The Promised Land 91%
The mechanical cotton picker displaced millions, and the cities they fled to were never the same.
by Nicholas Lemann 1991
4.24
798 ratings
Gang Leader for a Day
by Sudhir Venkatesh • 2008
A sociologist ran a Chicago gang for a day. The books were cleaner than he expected.
4.07
26k+
Gang Leader for a Day Summary
Gang Leader for a Day 90%
A sociologist ran a Chicago gang for a day. The books were cleaner than he expected.
by Sudhir Venkatesh 2008
4.07
26k+ ratings
Ghetto
by Mitchell Duneier • 2015
The ghetto was built in Venice. It took 500 years for America to perfect it.
3.75
583
Ghetto Summary
Ghetto 90%
The ghetto was built in Venice. It took 500 years for America to perfect it.
by Mitchell Duneier 2015
3.75
583 ratings
White Poverty
by William J. Barber II • 2024
America's poor are mostly white. The lie that says otherwise keeps the working class fractured.
4.28
719
White Poverty Summary
White Poverty 90%
America's poor are mostly white. The lie that says otherwise keeps the working class fractured.
by William J. Barber II 2024
4.28
719 ratings
How to Kill a City
by Peter Moskowitz • 2017
Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.
4.07
4k+
How to Kill a City Summary
How to Kill a City 90%
Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.
by Peter Moskowitz 2017
4.07
4k+ ratings
Ain't No Makin' It
by Jay MacLeod • 2008
One group believed hard work would save them; the other didn't. Class position decided their fates.
4.07
1k+
Ain't No Makin' It Summary
Ain't No Makin' It 90%
One group believed hard work would save them; the other didn't. Class position decided their fates.
by Jay MacLeod 2008
4.07
1k+ ratings
The Origins of the Urban Crisis
by Thomas J. Sugrue • 1996
Detroit collapsed from job loss and housing segregation decades before the 1967 riot finished it.
4.24
2k+
The Origins of the Urban Crisis Summary
The Origins of the Urban Crisis 90%
Detroit collapsed from job loss and housing segregation decades before the 1967 riot finished it.
by Thomas J. Sugrue 1996
4.24
2k+ ratings
The Color of Welfare
by Jill Quadagno • 1994
Racial backlash, not liberal ideals, unraveled the American welfare state, program by program.
4.16
90
The Color of Welfare Summary
The Color of Welfare 90%
Racial backlash, not liberal ideals, unraveled the American welfare state, program by program.
by Jill Quadagno 1994
4.16
90 ratings
Poverty, by America
by Matthew Desmond • 2023
Poverty in America persists by design, fueled by exploitation and welfare that flows to the top.
4.27
64k+
Poverty, by America Summary
Poverty, by America 90%
Poverty in America persists by design, fueled by exploitation and welfare that flows to the top.
by Matthew Desmond 2023
4.27
64k+ ratings
Sidewalk
by Mitchell Duneier • 1999
Some of the most disorderly figures on the sidewalk are also the ones preventing real crime.
4.15
2k+
Sidewalk Summary
Sidewalk 90%
Some of the most disorderly figures on the sidewalk are also the ones preventing real crime.
by Mitchell Duneier 1999
4.15
2k+ ratings
Poverty Safari
by Darren McGarvey • 2017
Poverty isn't just broke. It's trauma, addiction, and a mind that fights its own rescue.
4.01
7k+
Poverty Safari Summary
Poverty Safari 90%
Poverty isn't just broke. It's trauma, addiction, and a mind that fights its own rescue.
by Darren McGarvey 2017
4.01
7k+ ratings
Hillbilly Elegy
by J.D. Vance • 2016
Poverty teaches a lesson that keeps you poor: your effort doesn't matter.
3.83
508k+
Hillbilly Elegy Summary
Hillbilly Elegy 90%
Poverty teaches a lesson that keeps you poor: your effort doesn't matter.
by J.D. Vance 2016
3.83
508k+ ratings
All You Can Eat
by Joel Berg • 2008
America has the food to feed everyone. Why 35 million still go hungry.
3.88
137
All You Can Eat Summary
All You Can Eat 89%
America has the food to feed everyone. Why 35 million still go hungry.
by Joel Berg 2008
3.88
137 ratings
All That Is Solid
by Danny Dorling • 2014
Britain has a third more bedrooms than people. The housing disaster is engineered, not inevitable.
3.55
144
All That Is Solid Summary
All That Is Solid 89%
Britain has a third more bedrooms than people. The housing disaster is engineered, not inevitable.
by Danny Dorling 2014
3.55
144 ratings
Maid
by Stephanie Land • 2019
A single mother cleans houses while barely holding onto her own: life inside the working poor.
3.86
114k+
Maid Summary
Maid 89%
A single mother cleans houses while barely holding onto her own: life inside the working poor.
by Stephanie Land 2019
3.86
114k+ ratings
Shattered Nation
by Danny Dorling • 2023
Beneath every British crisis lies a map of inequality decades in the making.
3.97
119
Shattered Nation Summary
Shattered Nation 89%
Beneath every British crisis lies a map of inequality decades in the making.
by Danny Dorling 2023
3.97
119 ratings
Categorically Unequal
by Douglas S. Massey • 2007
America engineered its inequality: sort people into categories, then rig the rules.
4.24
134
Categorically Unequal Summary
Categorically Unequal 89%
America engineered its inequality: sort people into categories, then rig the rules.
by Douglas S. Massey 2007
4.24
134 ratings
In the Shadow of the Poorhouse
by Michael B. Katz • 1986
American welfare was designed to deter, not to help. The poorhouse closed; the logic stayed.
3.74
138
In the Shadow of the Poorhouse Summary
In the Shadow of the Poorhouse 89%
American welfare was designed to deter, not to help. The poorhouse closed; the logic stayed.
by Michael B. Katz 1986
3.74
138 ratings
Broke, USA
by Gary Rivlin • 2010
How pawnshops and payday lenders turned the working poor into a multi-billion dollar market.
3.71
1k+
Broke, USA Summary
Broke, USA 89%
How pawnshops and payday lenders turned the working poor into a multi-billion dollar market.
by Gary Rivlin 2010
3.71
1k+ ratings
Capital City
by Samuel Stein • 2019
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
3.92
2k+
Capital City Summary
Capital City 89%
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
by Samuel Stein 2019
3.92
2k+ ratings
Fragmented Democracy
by Jamila Michener • 2018
Your zip code decides your Medicaid benefits. It also decides whether you bother with politics.
4.23
120
Fragmented Democracy Summary
Fragmented Democracy 89%
Your zip code decides your Medicaid benefits. It also decides whether you bother with politics.
by Jamila Michener 2018
4.23
120 ratings
No Shame in My Game
by Katherine S. Newman • 1999
The job everyone ridicules might be the best shot at dignity for America's working poor.
3.75
466
No Shame in My Game Summary
No Shame in My Game 89%
The job everyone ridicules might be the best shot at dignity for America's working poor.
by Katherine S. Newman 1999
3.75
466 ratings
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem
by Gregg Colburn • 2022
Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.
4.21
1k+
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem Summary
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem 89%
Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.
by Gregg Colburn 2022
4.21
1k+ ratings
Shifting the Color Line
by Robert C. Lieberman • 1998
New Deal welfare was a racial sorting machine, not by intent but by institutional design.
3.69
16
Shifting the Color Line Summary
Shifting the Color Line 89%
New Deal welfare was a racial sorting machine, not by intent but by institutional design.
by Robert C. Lieberman 1998
3.69
16 ratings
How the Poor Can Save Capitalism
by John Hope Bryant • 2014
The poor aren't a drain; they're an untapped engine. A blueprint for making capitalism include them.
3.99
210
How the Poor Can Save Capitalism Summary
How the Poor Can Save Capitalism 89%
The poor aren't a drain; they're an untapped engine. A blueprint for making capitalism include them.
by John Hope Bryant 2014
3.99
210 ratings
Where We Stand
by bell hooks • 2000
Feminism and antiracism won't succeed until they confront the thing they most ignore: class.
4.24
3k+
Where We Stand Summary
Where We Stand 89%
Feminism and antiracism won't succeed until they confront the thing they most ignore: class.
by bell hooks 2000
4.24
3k+ ratings
Life at the Bottom
by Theodore Dalrymple • 2001
Poverty didn't wreck the underclass. A set of ideas did—and intellectuals handed them down.
4.23
4k+
Life at the Bottom Summary
Life at the Bottom 89%
Poverty didn't wreck the underclass. A set of ideas did—and intellectuals handed them down.
by Theodore Dalrymple 2001
4.23
4k+ ratings
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
by Katherine Boo • 2012
A murder charge, born of envy, traps a garbage-sorting family in Mumbai's market for justice.
3.98
117k+
Behind the Beautiful Forevers Summary
Behind the Beautiful Forevers 89%
A murder charge, born of envy, traps a garbage-sorting family in Mumbai's market for justice.
by Katherine Boo 2012
3.98
117k+ ratings
The Bottom Billion
by Paul Collier • 2007
Four traps keep a billion people poor, and the usual remedies only tighten them.
3.85
8k+
The Bottom Billion Summary
The Bottom Billion 89%
Four traps keep a billion people poor, and the usual remedies only tighten them.
by Paul Collier 2007
3.85
8k+ ratings
American Made
by Farah Stockman • 2021
Three factory workers lost their jobs to Mexico. What they lost next surprised everyone but them.
4.31
1k+
American Made Summary
American Made 89%
Three factory workers lost their jobs to Mexico. What they lost next surprised everyone but them.
by Farah Stockman 2021
4.31
1k+ ratings
The Human Cost of Welfare
by Phil Harvey • 2016
Welfare was built to end poverty. Its rules punish work, marriage, and saving instead.
4.45
20
The Human Cost of Welfare Summary
The Human Cost of Welfare 89%
Welfare was built to end poverty. Its rules punish work, marriage, and saving instead.
by Phil Harvey 2016
4.45
20 ratings
The Color of Money
by Mehrsa Baradaran • 2017
Why Black-owned banks, born from exclusion, could never close the gap they were meant to fix.
4.47
2k+
The Color of Money Summary
The Color of Money 89%
Why Black-owned banks, born from exclusion, could never close the gap they were meant to fix.
by Mehrsa Baradaran 2017
4.47
2k+ ratings
Portfolios of the Poor
by Daryl Collins • 2009
Hand-to-mouth is a myth. On $2 a day, the poor juggle a dozen financial instruments just to survive.
3.95
1k+
Portfolios of the Poor Summary
Portfolios of the Poor 89%
Hand-to-mouth is a myth. On $2 a day, the poor juggle a dozen financial instruments just to survive.
by Daryl Collins 2009
3.95
1k+ ratings
Profit and Punishment
by Tony Messenger • 2021
When courts depend on fines to stay open, the poor become the revenue.
4.26
658
Profit and Punishment Summary
Profit and Punishment 89%
When courts depend on fines to stay open, the poor become the revenue.
by Tony Messenger 2021
4.26
658 ratings
The Lost and the Found
by Kevin Fagan • 2025
A reporter followed two unhoused people in San Francisco. One got out. The other didn't. Here's why.
4.27
912
The Lost and the Found Summary
The Lost and the Found 89%
A reporter followed two unhoused people in San Francisco. One got out. The other didn't. Here's why.
by Kevin Fagan 2025
4.27
912 ratings
The Other Side of Prospect
by Nicholas Dawidoff • 2022
A murder in New Haven, a false confession, and the forces that made both inevitable.
4.43
462
The Other Side of Prospect Summary
The Other Side of Prospect 89%
A murder in New Haven, a false confession, and the forces that made both inevitable.
by Nicholas Dawidoff 2022
4.43
462 ratings
Poor Economics
by Abhijit V. Banerjee • 2011
Poverty is not one problem but many small ones. Randomized trials reveal which fixes actually work.
4.27
25k+
Poor Economics Summary
Poor Economics 89%
Poverty is not one problem but many small ones. Randomized trials reveal which fixes actually work.
by Abhijit V. Banerjee 2011
4.27
25k+ ratings
Glass House
by Brian Alexander • 2017
Private equity bought a glass factory. By the time they were done, a town was destroyed.
3.91
2k+
Glass House Summary
Glass House 89%
Private equity bought a glass factory. By the time they were done, a town was destroyed.
by Brian Alexander 2017
3.91
2k+ ratings
Fist Stick Knife Gun
by Geoffrey Canada • 1995
Respect was won with fists on Union Avenue. Then guns came and rewrote the rules for everyone.
4.03
3k+
Fist Stick Knife Gun Summary
Fist Stick Knife Gun 89%
Respect was won with fists on Union Avenue. Then guns came and rewrote the rules for everyone.
by Geoffrey Canada 1995
4.03
3k+ ratings
In Our Hands
by Charles Murray • 2006
Eliminate every welfare program. Send every adult one check. It costs less and ends poverty.
3.74
290
In Our Hands Summary
In Our Hands 88%
Eliminate every welfare program. Send every adult one check. It costs less and ends poverty.
by Charles Murray 2006
3.74
290 ratings
Justice at Work
by Marc Doussard • 2022
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
5.00
3
Justice at Work Summary
Justice at Work 88%
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
by Marc Doussard 2022
5.00
3 ratings
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind
by Eric Jensen • 2013
The classroom moves that overcome poverty's grip on learning, even when motivation is scarce.
4.09
858
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind Summary
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind 88%
The classroom moves that overcome poverty's grip on learning, even when motivation is scarce.
by Eric Jensen 2013
4.09
858 ratings
Men Without Work
by Nicholas Eberstadt • 2016
Seven million prime-age men have quit the workforce entirely. The problem isn't a lack of jobs.
3.41
501
Men Without Work Summary
Men Without Work 88%
Seven million prime-age men have quit the workforce entirely. The problem isn't a lack of jobs.
by Nicholas Eberstadt 2016
3.41
501 ratings
The Color of Law
by Richard Rothstein • 2017
Federal policy, not private prejudice, segregated America. The proof is in the mortgage manuals.
4.44
47k+
The Color of Law Summary
The Color of Law 88%
Federal policy, not private prejudice, segregated America. The proof is in the mortgage manuals.
by Richard Rothstein 2017
4.44
47k+ ratings
Nowhere to Live
by James S. Burling • 2024
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
4.00
12
Nowhere to Live Summary
Nowhere to Live 88%
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
by James S. Burling 2024
4.00
12 ratings
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