The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Desmond, Matthew. Poverty, by America. Crown, 2023.

Growing up in Winslow, Arizona, Matthew Desmond learned about poverty first-hand when the bank took his house. His father was a pastor and had no back-up plan when times grew lean. Desmond's father knew ancient Greek, but that knowledge was useless when it came to paying the house note. As a child, Desmond learned that poverty is traumatic and causes extreme stress for the destitute. Desmond points out countless examples of poverty in America today, and he questions why the richest country in the world allows 1 in 8 children to go to bed hungry each night. 38 million Americans cannot afford the basics of living, and 108 million Americans live in that treacherous space of $55,000 a year or less (6).

Desmond provides evidence that the largest American corporations (such as Wal-Mart and Dollar General) generate vast sums of money while underpaying their employees. These employees are then left to string together help from the government in the form of Medicaid and food stamps. Desmond highlights the plight of workers such as Julio Payes who works eighty hours a week--forty hours at McDonald's and forty hours at a temp service. Payes still only scrapes by because of rock-bottom wages. He introduces readers to Crystal Mayberry, a child of poverty, who turns to prostitution when she is not approved for the Social Security Income (SSI) that she drew as a child. Desmond demonstrates that poverty is about pain, both mental and physical.

Desmond also exposes how the check-cashing and payday loan industry keeps poor people in debt. Check-cashing companies can charge between 1 and 10 percent just to cash a check, and payday loans often charge a rate of $15 per $100 lent. Americans spent 1.6 billion dollars to cash their own checks in 2020 (73). The business is so lucrative that Wal-Mart has begun to offer the service. Desmond concludes that there are endless ways to exploit the poor. Wealthier Americans receive generous tax breaks in the form of homeowner subsidies, 529 college account savings, and other incentive programs. The present social contract gives the greatest benefits to those who need them the least.

Desmond next introduces the concept of private splendor versus public squalor. As the wealthier become even wealthier, they invest in private opulence (McMansions and private schools) while they withdraw from public offerings such as public schools and public libraries. American zoning laws also serve to keep the poor out of more affluent areas. In the guise of protecting home values, new zoning laws discriminate against those who do not earn enough to buy their own homes. Furthermore, everyday Americans keep the poor very poor because they buy goods at rock-bottom prices and do not pursue wealthy individuals and corporations that cheat on their taxes. Desmond notes that poverty in America could be completely abolished if the IRS were given the resources to go after individuals and corporations that skip out on their taxes.

Lastly, Desmond challenges readers to become poverty abolitionists. Becoming a poverty abolitionist means spending money with corporations that pay a living wage and welcome unions. Poverty abolitionists should choose UPS rather than FedEx, for example, because UPS workers are unionized. Readers must also hold themselves accountable for the stocks in which they invest. Poverty abolitionists may want to steer clear of any stocks that support big box stores offering low wages. Investing in the future means making room in high-opportunity neighborhoods for poor children who need a safe environment to thrive. Research clearly shows that children perform better in high-opportunity environments rather than in crime-ridden neighborhoods with mountains of resources. According to Desmond, joy will come only when all children are able to reach their potential.