Book · 2023 · nyt:combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction=2023-04-09
Poverty, by America
Why people recommend it
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond is a rigorous, eye-opening non-fiction investigation that examines why the United States maintains such high levels of systemic poverty despite being one of the wealthiest nations in history. On The Book Review in 2024, Tina Jordan discussed the book, noting how this new work clearly grew directly out of the extensive research the author conducted for his previous projects. On The Ezra Klein Show in 2023, host Ezra Klein brought up the book to open an extensive interview with the author, highlighting how this particular volume takes a slightly different, provocative angle on the crisis of American poverty by examining how affluent citizens inadvertently sustain it. Both speakers emphasized the urgency and moral clarity of Desmond's arguments, which challenge readers to rethink standard economic assumptions. These podcast discussions illustrate the profound public impact of the book, positioning it as a vital, highly debated contribution to modern economic policy, social justice, and the ongoing national conversation about inequality in the United States today.
Who recommended it
- Tina Jordan Discussed
- Ezra Klein Discussed
Tina Jordan — 1 mention
“so this new book called poverty by America clearly grew out of the research he was doing for his last book”
Ezra Klein — 1 mention
“Matthew Desmond writes that in his new book about poverty poverty by America but poverty by America is supposed to be something a bit different”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- Evicted
- Homelessness Is a Housing Problem
- Lone Women
- Los Náufragos Del Wager / the Wager
- Monsters
- Oscar Wars
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“for you non-fiction enthusiasts I'm going to mention three there's a new work by Matthew Desmond the piter prizewinning author of evicted whose new book looks at poverty in America it's called poverty by America”