I usually don’t read the notes and acknowledgments at the end of the book. But I read the notes in this book. I wanted to know how he got all the information on these people as if he was right there next to them. It’s non fiction but it’s written like a novel which made it every interesting to read. So far this is my favorite book of 2023.

I learned quite a bit about the problems landlords are constantly up against. This was an educational true story that had so much more for the reader to discover.

Jumping around from family to family made this a bit difficult to follow. Notwithstanding, this was a page turner.

Hauntingly empathetic and distressingly relevant. Shines a piercing light on the many complex variables that contribute to the systemic injustices within the urban housing market.

”The persistence and brutality of American poverty can be disheartening, leaving us cynical about solutions. But as Scott and Patrice will tell you, a good home can serve as the sturdiest of footholds. When people have a place to live, they become better parents, workers, and citizens.” This book, which is one I will eventually own I hope, is a knockout punch to those who say housing is plentiful in the US. When a majority of us are one paycheck from being on the street, Matthew Desmond gives example of people who actually got evicted from their homes and gives us backstory and what happened when the last thing they wanted or needed was to lose whatever sense of roots they had. As a retired person; as a former shelter worker, a social worker, and a justice advocate I am glad the United Church of Christ has made this an #AllChurchRead in hopes that the dialogue it provokes will challenge us to walk our talk just a little better. Highly Recommended 5/5

Matthew Desmond taught me more about the daily struggles and life experiences of the urban poor than I thought possible. Although I was skeptical at first that he was able to capture so much dialogue and dramatic events in their lives, I changed my mind after reading the epilogue and all of Desmond’s notes in the back of the book. He makes a strong case for a solution at the end, but leaves the full details of how to implement for another time or another book. Lots of cursing and a little “too much information” about the personal issues of people on the margins, if that kind of thing bothers you as a reader. I take him at his word that these families willingly let him into their lives, because I would feel like we were invading their world, otherwise.

Definitely worth the price and effort to read!

This book popped up in my iPhone feed as one of the best books of 2016. I chose to purchase this one out of the other 19 on the list because I have experienced eviction, and I wanted to see for myself what issues would be touched upon in the different stories within the book. As it turns out, this book is filled with nothing but 100% accuracy in regards to the causes and effects of eviction. It correlates the greed of the real estate industry today with the lack of respect for housing as a general Human basic need in the most effective way. I applaud Matthew Desmond not only for writing this book, but more so for taking the time to become one with the less fortunates of society and getting down to the real deal of what's really happening today. Absolutely a great read!

I just finished this book and it is one of the best books I've read about the real issue here:poverty. A full review can be seen on my Goodreads site.