Pulitzer Prize winning sociologist Matthew Desmond’s work on evictions in the United States openened our eyes to life’s daily horrors for many Americans living at or below the poverty line when he visited the John Adams in 2018. Now, with his trademark blend of investigative journalism and academic rigor, Desmond turns to a much broader topic related to his previous work: poverty.

In his latest book 'Poverty, by America,' Desmond encourages us all to be poverty abolitionists: to actively support and encourage policies, programs and mindsets that diminish poverty in the United States. This is no easy task, and requires updating not only government agencies and funding more equitable poverty-reduction programs, but more profoundly, begs us to take a long look in the mirror.