Why read The Undeserving Poor?

Book cover of The Undeserving Poor: America's Enduring Confrontation with Poverty

Book description

First published in 1989, The Undeserving Poor was a critically acclaimed and enormously influential account of America's enduring debate about poverty. Taking stock of the last quarter century, Michael B. Katz's new edition of this classic is virtually a new book. As the first did, it will force all concerned…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Undeserving Poor as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Dorothy J. Solinger

Author

This book, first published in 1989 and then reprinted in 2013, interprets policy and market developments in the early 21st century.

It debunks a perspective that would blame the poor themselves for their own plight and instead explores both cultural and biological causes for poverty. The author provides us with many angles from which to understand why people are poor in America and how poverty is perceived and handled. A lot of the book shows readers how things are for the poor where they live, at the grass-roots level.

From Dorothy's list on poverty and social welfare in the US and China.