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From:David K. Shipler , Knopf ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#183540 |
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2 of 4 customers found the following review helpful:
 Great Book, 2006-03-25
In this book, David Shipler addressed many topics which are often undiscussed in American society. His non-judgmental assessment of the personal & institutional causes perpetuating working-class poverty was phenomenal. The narratives he used supplemented the usual facts and figures.
3 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
A thoughtful and compassionate read, 2006-03-10
This is a pretty long book, but the storytelling and people we meet make it an enjoyable and engaging read. I especially appreciate the author's summary and his thoughtful exploration of ways to combat and alleviate poverty. No easy answers, but a lot of compassion. I still think about it daily.
6 of 6 customers found the following review helpful:
Who to blame?, 2006-02-21
The major strength of this book is that it goes right to the heart of the debate on social welfare policy. Who is to blame? Is it the person or is it their circumstances? Normally hysterics on both extremes of the political spectrum try to place all the blame either on society or on the person. This book makes a run at splitting the difference. Frankly, I found this book better informed than the famous Nickel and Dimed. The truth is that poverty is a tough problem to solve, and many of the best minds on the left and the right have failed us.
9 of 9 customers found the following review helpful:
The Dark Side of Democracy, 2006-01-04
I just read this book for the third time in the last two years. Every time I come away even more moved then before by the vivid, haunting portrait Shipler paints of truly remarkable people working up against daunting odds to make remarkable things happen under among the worst of circumstances. Forget Nickel and Dimmed and all of the other pop culture books detailing the plight of America's working poor published in recent years. This is the real thing. Shipler tells stories in harrowing and heroic detail of people who can't seem to get a break let alone a piece of the so-called American dream, no matter how hard they try time and again. The picture that emerges of employers and business (i.e. banks, credit card providers, furniture rental companies and others) as well as government is unconscienable. The public and private sectors are portrayed here as systematically exploiting, almost taunting the determination of the people profiled at every turn. As much as this book depresses and angers me at times, the stories of extraordinary courage, pride and perseverance are also inspiring, even empowering. You can't come away from reading this book without feeling changed and mobilzed. Shipler does more than detail the problems, misconceptions, barriers, etc. He offers an intelligent, persuasive guide for what all of us can be doing to bring about systemic changes that finally put an end to the myriad of economic injustices that far too many of our fellow citizens are forced to accept as "the cost of living." As Robert Reich observes: "The 'working poor' ought to be an oxymoron, because no one who works should be impoverished."
6 of 8 customers found the following review helpful:
 Focus Lacking, But Parts Of the Book Are Compelling, 2006-01-03
I enjoyed the first 75 pages of this book much more than the last 250. In the first section, Shipler presents some real insights, including (1) a helpful look at how fragile the balance of daily life can be for many people, (2) a useful look at how many people end up with spending/saving problems, and (3) a helpful look at how people can end up stuck in bad jobs. (Coincidentally, I thought Shipler's people-profiles in this section were the most interesting of the entire book.)
The last 250 pages (or so) is a chapter-by-chapter parade of horribles -- child abuse, migrant worker living conditions, malnutrition, substance addictions, etc -- showing how awful life can be. It was not especially insightful to me, and I did not find many surprises. The whole book could use more focus, to narrow in on what I thought was its central thesis: How do honest, hard-working, reasonably-bright people end up stuck in the lower end of the economy? Also, I did not find the "policy prescription" chapter at the end to be especially insightful.
I would have enjoyed a shorter book, with a more disciplined focus, on this topic. (I will say, though, that I was not put off by any obvious political agenda in the book.)
One final note: Like "Nickel and Dimed," Shipler's book does have a "Diane Fosse Lives Among The Gorillas In Their World and Wins their Trust" feel to it. But I think that is almost unavoidable for this genre. I will forgive that, although it annoying at times.
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