Poverty, by America

In 'Poverty, by America', Matthew Desmond uses history, research, and original reporting to expose how affluent Americans, both knowingly and unknowingly, contribute to the persistence of poverty.

The book details how corporate and governmental policies exploit the poor, driving down wages and forcing them to overpay for essential services like housing, cash, and credit.

Desmond argues that the root of poverty lies not in the behavior of poor people but in the systemic exploitation by the wealthy.

He also emphasizes the intersection of race and poverty, particularly affecting Black Americans, and calls for readers to become 'poverty abolitionists' to build a more economically just society.