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  • Evicted

  • Poverty and Profit in the American City
  • Written by: Matthew Desmond
  • Narrated by: Dion Graham
  • Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (77 ratings)

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Evicted

Written by: Matthew Desmond
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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Publisher's Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • One of the most acclaimed books of our time, this modern classic “has set a new standard for reporting on poverty” (Barbara Ehrenreich, The New York Times Book Review).

In Evicted, Princeton sociologist and MacArthur “Genius” Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they each struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Hailed as “wrenching and revelatory” (The Nation), “vivid and unsettling” (New York Review of Books), Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of twenty-first-century America’s most devastating problems. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible. 

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY President Barack Obama • The New York Times Book Review • The Boston Globe • The Washington Post • NPR • Entertainment Weekly • The New Yorker • Bloomberg • Esquire • BuzzFeed • Fortune • San Francisco Chronicle • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Politico • The Week • Chicago Public Library • BookPage • Kirkus Reviews • Library Journal •  Publishers Weekly • Booklist • Shelf Awareness

WINNER OF: The National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction • The PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction • The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • The Hillman Prize for Book Journalism • The PEN/New England Award • The Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize

FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE AND THE KIRKUS PRIZE

Evicted stands among the very best of the social justice books.”—Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto and Commonwealth 

“Gripping and moving—tragic, too.”—Jesmyn Ward, author of Salvage the Bones

Evicted is that rare work that has something genuinely new to say about poverty.”—San Francisco Chronicle

©2016 Matthew Desmond (P)2016 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“Astonishing... Desmond has set a new standard for reporting on poverty.”—Barbara Ehrenreich, New York Times Book Review

“After reading Evicted, you’ll realize you cannot have a serious conversation about poverty without talking about housing. . . . The book is that good, and it’s that unignorable.”—Jennifer Senior, New York Times

“This book gave me a better sense of what it is like to be very poor in this country than anything else I have read. . . . It is beautifully written, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.”—Bill Gates

What listeners say about Evicted

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Deeply Sad Learning

Wow, that was heart breaking. An amazing read because it really captures the world of the poor. I hope this book inspires people to help make change in their communities.

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Everyone must read/listen to this book.

This is a heartbreaking account of what poverty looks like in “the richest nation in the world”. The author digs deep into the causes of poverty and why housing is one of the main contributors. If you have right leaning pals get them to read this and then ask themselves if people need affordable housing.

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Fantastic and educational

Sociology nerds would love this. I learned so much and I work within a youth shelter. It just might be my favourite books. It is filled with facts and academic information, however it reads like a novel. The ethnographic research behind this book really brings to light the true experiences of the people struggling through poverty and eviction. An excellent body of work that I continue to go back to. My favourite chapter is titled, Lobster on food stamps. This entry speaks volumes.

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Heartbreakingly truthful

This book was a truthful, heartbreaking account of how America profits from the poor. How The United States of America can be considered one of the richest countries in the world and yet have a callous disregard for its own people to the extent that the poor can't have the basic necessities of life is shameful. Matthew Desmond offers some hope by example of European countries who have eradicated their homelessness issues - however, there would have to be a drastic change in government in order to effect any change whatsoever, and under the current "leadership" it simply won't happen.

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Excellent writing and narration

I loved this book even though it was hard to listen to at times due to the tough content, but the narration and style of writing was excellent. I'm glad I listened to it and would recommend it to everyone.

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Extremely well written and real

One of the best audiobooks I’ve purchased thus far.
As a student having lived in her bubble of safety, I never realized the level of harsh realities people face, I think every young adult needs to read/listen to this book, the author’s ability to view and write about all parties involved with minimal bias is extraordinary.

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Insightful, captivating, and heartfelt book

Excellent read. FULLY recommend. The use of narrative to communicate Mathew Desmond’s ethnographic research was both captivating and insightful. Also, significant claims are backed up by some substantial and shocking quantitative data. Very, very interesting.

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Enlightening

Very well written. Heartbreaking mixed with hopefulness. Gives me greater insight into the struggles faced by those living on the edge. I enjoyed the narrator.

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