This collection of readings provides the voice, the presence, and the perspective of the poor who live on the margins and are generally invisible to the middle and upper classes. 

The goals of this reader are twofold:

(1) to bring the realities of the lives of the impoverished as close to the reader as possible

(2) to get the reader to listen carefully to these voices of the poor in order to enhance their understanding of:

• How the poor became poor.
• How the poor are treated by individuals and organizations in the community.
• What keeps the poor poor.
• How the poor manage day-to-day.
• What theory of causation best explains poverty.
• The consequences of the welfare-to-work federal legislation.
• The best solutions for ending poverty.