This book is not what one would typically consider a light-hearted or uplifting read.

At times, I had to put it aside and come back to the stories of numerous families engaged in battles on multiple fronts.

It was truly exhausting to read about how so many individuals have to struggle just to stay afloat and keep their families intact (or sometimes, even wish they could let go of certain aspects of the family).

This book served as a powerful reminder that if one has the luxury of spending time reading books for enjoyment (let alone spending additional time commenting on them online!), they are indeed very fortunate.

I highly recommend this book to people across the entire political spectrum, especially those who are inclined to pass judgment on the poor and their work ethic.

I deeply appreciated the author's honesty in revealing the mistakes and flaws of the individuals involved, as well as his incisive insights into the ways in which our government, charities, and businesses often fail the very people they aim to assist.

I am also in awe of those who are on the front lines, selflessly extending their hands to offer help.

I do wish there were more concrete take-away actions (such as "do these three things and we can truly solve this!"). However, the reality is that doing so would undermine the central point of the book: this is a complex situation with no simple answers.

I hope to gain a deeper understanding of what I can do to bring about the necessary changes, so that families can step back from the brink and begin to function normally again.

This article is truly remarkable.

It provides a wealth of knowledge and insights that are both educational and thought-provoking.

Reading it for class was an eye-opening experience, as it presented ideas and perspectives that I had not previously considered.

The content is engaging and well-written, making it a pleasure to read.

I would highly recommend this article to others, as it has the potential to expand one's understanding and stimulate further思考.

In fact, I plan to read it again as a reminder of the important lessons it contains.

Overall, this article is a valuable resource that I will cherish and refer back to in the future.

Perhaps it is because I had completely different expectations, but I firmly believed that this book was truly awful.

I managed to get through several chapters, yet I still had not learned a great deal. The entire book seemed to be nothing but a succession of sad stories - something that I already encounter in abundance on a regular basis.

I took the time to read some of the other reviews, and for the most part, I found myself in agreement with them. This was indeed a very good collection of stories.

However, if your intention is to find a true sociology book that offers in-depth analysis of how we have reached our current state, what the key causes are, and possible solutions, among other things, then this is most definitely not the book for you. It simply does not fulfill those requirements.

Absolute masterpiece!

It is nuanced, intimate, and heart-breaking. Shipler has done an outstanding job of letting the poor speak for themselves. Through their words and stories, we are able to see all aspects of their humanity. He does not romanticize them, nor does he dismiss their struggles. Instead, he presents a realistic and honest portrayal of what it means to be poor.

Maybe the most important takeaway from this work is that, yes, the poor do make bad choices, but so do we all. The difference is that when you're poor, it's so much harder to escape the consequences. This realization should make us more empathetic and understanding towards those who are less fortunate. It also highlights the need for society to do more to address the root causes of poverty and provide support and opportunities for those who are struggling.

Overall, this is a powerful and thought-provoking work that everyone should read.

This was an extremely engaging and well-written piece of work.

Regrettably, it has withstood the test of time. Having been penned in 2004, it remains highly relevant regarding the state of welfare and poverty even 20 years later.

The work is divided into chapters that focus on different cohorts of vulnerable and incredibly forgotten segments of society. Shippler delves deeply into the underlying, systemic inhibitors that impede government assistance. After the 1996 welfare reform bill pushed those on benefits into dead-end jobs, it trapped workers in destitution.

For many, work is a trap. It brings profit to those at the top and serves as punishment for those at the bottom. As Shippler brilliantly concludes his work, we should feel ashamed.

This is well worth reading for anyone interested in shedding light on the hidden aspects of poverty in the U.S.

This was truly horrifying.

The story became even more disturbing in the later chapters, with a particular emphasis on the kids.

It was heart-wrenching to read about the experiences they had to endure.

Their innocence was shattered, and they were thrust into a world of chaos and fear.

The author did an excellent job of描绘 the emotions and turmoil that the kids were going through.

It made me feel a sense of empathy and sadness for them.

The events that took place were not only terrifying but also had a profound impact on the kids' lives.

It was a reminder of how fragile and vulnerable children can be in the face of adversity.

Overall, the later chapters with the focus on the kids added an extra layer of horror to the already disturbing story.

It left a lasting impression on me and made me think about the importance of protecting and safeguarding the well-being of children.

Lots of anecdotes are floating around, but there is not a great deal of in-depth facts or analysis to back them up. Anecdotes can be interesting and engaging, but they often lack the rigor and objectivity that is required for a comprehensive understanding of a subject.

For example, someone might share a personal story about how a particular product changed their life, but without any scientific evidence or data to support the claim, it's difficult to know if the same result would be achieved by others.

Similarly, anecdotes about historical events or figures can be entertaining, but they may not provide an accurate picture of what really happened. In order to gain a more accurate understanding, it's important to look at multiple sources of information and analyze the facts objectively.

While anecdotes can be a useful starting point for discussion, they should not be relied on as the sole source of information. By supplementing anecdotes with facts and analysis, we can gain a more complete and accurate understanding of the world around us.

There weren't (at least for me) any epiphanies to be had in this book.

If you're already aware of the complex interactions of the factors that go into causing and perpetuating poverty in America, you won't find much to surprise you. Shock, now, that's a different thing. Anyone who can't be deeply affected by some of the stories told in the book should do some hard thinking about their humanity.

If you're not aware of the aforementioned complex interactions, what you might find here is some stories and statistics that might enlighten you. If you're not of that bent of mind, then those tales and facts might just make you dig in your heels and refuse to be moved (emotionally, or along, whichever).

It's a stew of personal failures and poor choices mixed with deficiencies in the support system, or safety net, if you prefer, that's supposed to alleviate the bad effects of personal circumstances. But, nothing can drag a person out of poverty. The most any program or benefit can do is offer a stepping stone. But (again), the person has to have some wherewithal to get up the nerve to take that step, if indeed they can, given the amount of time and savvy it can take to get yourself enrolled in something. Time that an hourly employee who's on a razor's edge as far as paying their bills can ill afford to lose from a job. And life's frequent mishaps (not to mention catastrophes) hit poor people harder than they do the more affluent. A car breaks down, a furnace goes on the fritz, a child gets sick, any meager financial reserves are wiped out, and a family starts again from square one. Or square minus ten.

So yeah, poverty is a cycle. Children learn what they live, and when what they live is despair, violence, sexual abuse, educational failure, addiction, and emotional instability, then as adults there's that much less chance that they have the (also aforementioned) wherewithal to keep themselves above water, even with the help of the patchy, often ineffective network of supports that is available.

It's fixable. Or at least, things can be immensely improved for a lot of people. But we have two political parties in this deeply divided country, and one doesn't have the votes in Congress to do what needs to be done, and the other thinks that being poor is a character flaw you should just pray about and ask your church for help, apparently. So children fail to thrive and adults sink and the country suffers and so do we all.

Five years ago, the situation of being poor in the US was truly dreadful.

However, it has become even more dismal now. We are currently experiencing the greatest disparity between the rich and the poor since the period before the Great Depression.

I have this strong urge to grab people by their lapels and shout at the top of my lungs, "It's always the economy, stupid."

But I'm afraid that all I would receive in return are blank stares.

It seems that people are either oblivious to the severity of the economic situation or simply don't want to face the harsh reality.

The widening gap between the rich and the poor is having a profound impact on every aspect of society, from education and healthcare to housing and employment.

Unless we take immediate and effective measures to address this issue, the situation is only going to get worse.

We need to wake up and realize that the economy is the key to solving many of our social problems.

It's time for us to come together and take action to create a more equitable and prosperous society for all.

I liked this book quite a lot.

The author dedicated a significant amount of time to conversing with individuals of diverse races and backgrounds regarding their experiences of poverty. Additionally, the author also engaged in discussions with social workers who assist these people, as well as with their employers.

In all cases, poverty seemed to be self-inflicted. These individuals dropped out of school, had a large number of illegitimate children that they were unable to support, became involved in criminal activities, abused alcohol and drugs, and even when they managed to obtain jobs, they would simply fail to show up for work or orientations without bothering to call in. They made poor life choices and failed to learn from them.

I felt truly awful for the women who had endured abuse as children and teenagers. However, I too have suffered from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, yet I did not drop out of school. Instead, I have earned a high school diploma, a bachelor's degree, and a master's degree, all with honors from fully accredited institutions. I have not had any children out of wedlock. I have refused to become involved with or marry an abusive man. I have never smoked, consumed alcohol, used illegal drugs, or abused legal ones. These women simply made different choices and thereby trapped themselves in a cycle of misery.

While I am sorry for them, I have no respect for anyone who despises what has happened in the past and yet continues throughout life to repeat the same foolish mistakes. I felt no pity for the illegal aliens. They had no right to come here, and as far as I am concerned, they deserve whatever unpleasant things befall them. I do, however, feel sympathy for legal immigrants.

This book is easy to read without the use of jargon. It is filled with personal stories, and overall, I enjoyed it.

Before delving deep into the details presented in this book, which is truly all about the minutiae, there are crucial points that must be kept in mind. The author initially mentions them, but they seem to fade as the personal lives of people unfold.

Firstly, what we term as "poverty" in the United States is equivalent to a rather affluent lifestyle in many other countries. Secondly, humans are free agents capable of making choices, albeit sometimes limited by circumstances or experiences. Thirdly, a key premise of this book is that "perception is reality." Although the poor in America are not poor by international standards, they and the American culture perceive them as such, which is the root of the problem.

If you bear these ideas in mind while immersing yourself in the numerous touching personal examples the author documents, you will likely gain a great deal from reading it. It's evident that poverty is not a simple condition that can be solved by merely throwing money at it and providing opportunities and benefits. The way impoverished people utilize these benefits and their accustomed ways of dealing with their situations depend on myriad factors, including but not limited to immigrant status, family and culture, education, intelligence, emotional abuse, addictions (ranging from smoking and junk food to heroin), physical illness, choices, and so on.

The author also repeatedly emphasizes that rising above poverty often requires a "perfect storm" situation, where all the essential elements - financial, emotional, intellectual, job opportunities, and luck (absence of major tragedies) - are present. I concur with this assessment. In the current economy, it's not easy for the working poor to succeed solely through determination and hard work, as in the Horatio Alger stories. It's wrong to assume that anyone can make it if they just pull themselves up by their bootstraps because America is the Land of Opportunity. We need to abandon this myth.

Moreover, I found myself experiencing a gamut of emotions due to the human examples in the book. I felt every emotion - anger, sadness, joy, disgust, horror, empathy, and sympathy. Often, I was frustrated because an objective observer can often see things that those within the situations themselves cannot. Get ready to feel frustrated as it's a unifying theme throughout. This is not a book with easy answers.

Although I suspect the author has liberal political leanings, he has been an accurate reporter and an honest seeker in this book. He has presented all sides of the issue of the working poor and revealed that it's an extremely complex web of problems, not easily resolved by either left or right-wing solutions.

Sometimes, the author can be inconsistent in his opinions. For instance, he defends the need for television access, stating it's the only affordable and accessible entertainment for poor families, even if it costs them a couple of hundred dollars a month. However, at another point, he blames television advertising for creating a consumer culture that induces the poor to waste their limited money on unnecessary things. While this somewhat contradictory position reflects reality, I think it might be better for the poor to turn off the TV and find other forms of amusement that don't involve exposure to numerous advertisements and fictional cultural expectations.

The reader must be able to think about these stories, read between the lines, and remember that often the people are speaking for themselves, and what you're getting is what they will tell an interested interviewer about their situation. What people report or perceive about their situation is not necessarily the truth. The reader needs to sift through the information, be objective, and then apply their own judgment. Otherwise, you risk getting lost in the emotions.

The main takeaway I got from this book (perhaps not the author's intention!) is that, in Jesus' words, "the poor will always be with us."

Definitely, this is an eye-opening account of life for those who are living on the edge of poverty. It truly makes us see the troubles that some people have to face on a daily basis. We often try to bandaid a problem that actually requires holistic care. We need to look at the bigger picture and understand the root causes of poverty. Only then can we come up with more effective solutions. We cannot simply address the symptoms without dealing with the underlying issues. This account serves as a reminder that we have a long way to go in helping those in need. We must strive to provide not just temporary relief but also sustainable support to improve their quality of life.