Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

42 reviews

ohdakotaa's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

cady_sass's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

A bleak and brutal look at the reality of poverty in America through the eyes of a number of Milwaukee residents constantly teetering the edge of homelessness. It’s easy to get lost in these peoples stories and forget this is nonfiction, for many who have never seen or experienced or even imagined poverty this reads like fiction. The endless cycle created by the American government is a tough pill to swallow. Imagining a woman choosing to tolerate physical abuse rather than call the police and risk being evicted for being a problem tenant? That’s real and that’s horrific. And that’s just one of many, many stories told here. This is another book that I wish everyone could be compelled to read, there is a deeper understanding here and the empathy that comes with that understanding is critical to making progressive change. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

katerockreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

maevebeck's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.0

excellent source for understanding poverty in a more intimate and human way. overall the story desmond tells is confusing and kind of all over the place. few stories actually have a beginning middle and end ?? i understand that they’re real stories tho and that’s not always possible. very good book though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism

albernikolauras's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A heart-wrenching nonfiction book following families in Milwaukee that were evicted during the 2008 and 2009 recession. Desmond gives each individual humanity within his writing as he describes them without judgment or censor, from the landlords to the eviction company to the individuals left homeless afterward.

There wasn't a moment that you didn't feel the anger and frustration that we choose to treat people this way - as if their life doesn't matter. Desmond is clear about the ripple effect instable housing has on people - emotionally and physically - and the community they live in. How it effects the children stuck in this cycle, hopping from school to school while balancing taking care of their siblings.

Desmond wraps up the book describing his place within these situations, how he lived near them, when he intervened to help the families he followed, and what we can do to help prevent the worst of this. It is frightening that this has likely only gotten worse with the increasing housing prices and cost of living with no real increase in government support.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and War

larbster90's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

One of the best non-fiction books I've read. Tells the story of eviction not just with numbers, but with human stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

elyssajoh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

aqtbenz's review

challenging emotional informative fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism

lily1304's review against another edition

informative sad medium-paced

4.5

Honestly this was a brilliant ethnography - people don't take sociology seriously as a field of research, but this is an example of why they should! Personal stories hit home more than impersonal statistics, but Desmond cites plenty of research too to back up the stories he records.

Do not skip the epilogue and afterword about his research methods!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

Descriptions of eviction, homelessness, hunger, and poverty

bri4103's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Murder