Thank you for this video! Very informative! I came here after being at the County Library in Fresno and seeing Matthew Desmond's"Evicted" Exhibit. I could barely get through reading parts of the exhibit without crying. I look forward to reading the book and I hope the country helps the community. God Bless this world.
Our region is struggling with the effects of gentrification on the homeless and the NIMBY mentality that can often come with young, successful professionals.
Read this a few weeks ago and I was so disheartened. I was frustrated with some of the decisions the renters made, saddened by the decisions the renters were FORCED to make, and disgusted with some of the landlords apathetic actions to fellow human beings. The most revolting was when the landlord was more interested in her rent than the loss of an infant. I can never understand such callousness.
It’s easy to see the injustice, it’s hard to unravel how you can effect change. We’re wrestling with issues surrounding the homeless in our community in the face of an economic boom brought about by the tech industry. It’s easy to just to look away but there are folks with interesting, local solutions.
Thank you so much for reviewing this book. I live in the United States, and I wish that every American citizen would read this book and Barbara Ehrenreich's book, Nickle and Dimed. It would be amazing if there were more mention of non-fiction books like these on youtube. Thanks again!
Nickel and Dimed was an eye-opener. Always looking out for compelling narratives surrounding poverty - interesting exploration over at LARB - lareviewofbooks.org/article/ill-fares-the-invisible-hand#!
Loved the review. It's so interesting. The American reallity is different from my country (I'm portuguese). We still have poverty, but you can't evict anyone that easily. I have to see if there is some portuguese book about this theme.That would be awsome.
Great review. I definitely want to read this book. My only reservation when approaching these type of books is that I like to learn more and don't mind that it will sadden me but that so many times authors leave no suggestions for improving such problems. I would hate to read all that and then feel doubly depressed because I can't help. Thanks for putting this on my radar! I just completed "The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry" and just started reading "In other words" by Jhumpa Lahiri.
Matthew Desmond in the book does talk about changes that can make it less likely for landlords to take advantage of those at the bottom of the market. But he admits it’s still imperfect. In the meantime he’s started justshelter.org to raise awareness on the lack of affordable housing. He's also started the Evicted Book Foundation to help those people addressed in his book.
First Ghettoside and now this. Another nonfiction I was already looking at, and after your review it's officially on the TBR. How do you choose your books? You always read such interesting things.
Picked it up from the library on Monday and just finished it. I agree this book is really important and it changed the way I think about poverty and housing. I do think the meat of the book is in the Epilogue and did have some trouble with the organization of the Parts 1-3 (as in I had trouble remembering who was who given how many people are introduced in rapid succession) and I wonder if it would have been more understandable if instead of being organized chronologically, it was organized by characters (so Arleen in one, Scott in one, etc.) but maybe that wouldn't have worked because of the interconnectedness of the narratives. Would love to other people's thoughts?
It was more a compelling dissertation instead of a well-researched story. First and foremost was an accumulation of facts, shored up by the individual narratives and the consistent footnoting that often took me out of the story. It’s a credit to Desmond that it remained as compelling as it was. He could have easily arranged it for more dramatic effect, (the fire comes and goes so quickly) but I think he wanted to present the facts and ideas first and foremost.
Wow, that sounds both fascinating and depressing. I find regulations (and lack of regulations) around rental procedures are such interesting things in general (I'm a renter in Texas and a landlord in Ontario, and comparing the paperwork we see on both ends is wild), but I can only imagine what a minefield that low end of the market must be like. Definitely adding this to my to-read pile!
Wow - i can only imagine! It the very low end of the market sees power consolidate in the landlord where that may not be as much the case in middle to high income rentals. I get the feeling that renters have a bit more sway in Ontario than they would in the US - though that may be more class based than regional.
Yeah, there's no equivalent to the provincial Landlord and Tenant Boards in the US (or at least in Virginia and Texas), so that's the starkest contrast that I've seen. If there's a dispute between tenants and landlords there isn't the same neutral(ish) public service to deal with it, so if someone can't afford legal support, there isn't much they can do. Even from my privileged corporate ex-pat bubble, I was shocked by some of the questions that are apparently standard on Texas lease agreements, so I can only imagine how much more invasive they must be for people who don't really have other options.
omg where on earth is this happening? i live in section 8 and all the stuff u r talking about is protected and we get inspections every year from section 8 to make sure our unit and apartment complex is livable and being taken care of and u dont get kicked out if a domestic violence deal happens
There were a ton of characters but what was pervasive throughout was how badly the odds were stacked against them. The first eviction makes subsequent evictions more likely and it becomes ever more difficult to climb out of that hole.
Oh god moving house, ugh, I am hating it. I found divorce way easier. However the description of this book make me feel like I have no right to moan whatsoever. This book sounds incredible, harrowing but incredible.
Moving homes has always been nuts, though we’ve gotten better at it with each subsequent move - helped in part by relying less and less on pizza, beer and friends and instead going with money and movers. Knock on wood it’ll be years before I need to move again.
I just finished reading it this morning. Devastating and eye-opening.
Great review and love your channel. Keep it up.
You are too kind - thanks. It is an affecting read that's for sure!
Im reading it right now this is so real.
We all need more literary fiber in our lives, and this book sounds so necessary.
Hope you get the chance to check it out!
You deserve a show on NPR!
I patiently await their call...
Thank you for this video! Very informative! I came here after being at the County Library in Fresno and seeing Matthew Desmond's"Evicted" Exhibit. I could barely get through reading parts of the exhibit without crying. I look forward to reading the book and I hope the country helps the community. God Bless this world.
The exhibit sounds like it's incredibly powerful! Hope you have the chance to read the book and Desmond's careful reporting within.
@@ThePoptimist The Exhibit was amazing and yes very powerful. Can't wait for the book!
Definitely going on my TBR. Thanks for an informative, engaging review (as always)!
Thanks! Much appreciated!
This is so relevant, especially here in Ontario now. The future for housing and renting is scary.
Our region is struggling with the effects of gentrification on the homeless and the NIMBY mentality that can often come with young, successful professionals.
Four years since your comment. It’s looking so much worse now in Ontario 😔
Read this a few weeks ago and I was so disheartened. I was frustrated with some of the decisions the renters made, saddened by the decisions the renters were FORCED to make, and disgusted with some of the landlords apathetic actions to fellow human beings. The most revolting was when the landlord was more interested in her rent than the loss of an infant. I can never understand such callousness.
It’s easy to see the injustice, it’s hard to unravel how you can effect change. We’re wrestling with issues surrounding the homeless in our community in the face of an economic boom brought about by the tech industry. It’s easy to just to look away but there are folks with interesting, local solutions.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for reviewing this book. I live in the United States, and I wish that every American citizen would read this book and Barbara Ehrenreich's book, Nickle and Dimed. It would be amazing if there were more mention of non-fiction books like these on youtube. Thanks again!
Nickel and Dimed was an eye-opener. Always looking out for compelling narratives surrounding poverty - interesting exploration over at LARB - lareviewofbooks.org/article/ill-fares-the-invisible-hand#!
Thank you so much for the link. The site is full of information I find interesting. I can't wait to investigate all the archived information.
Wanna read some REAL grim nonfiction? Try the books The New Jim Crow, and White Rage.
Thanks for the recommendations - the stats for both those books is off the charts! Added to the TBR
Loved the review. It's so interesting. The American reallity is different from my country (I'm portuguese). We still have poverty, but you can't evict anyone that easily. I have to see if there is some portuguese book about this theme.That would be awsome.
Thanks. The reality in America is different than what we have even here in Canada but the themes of poverty resonated.
Great review. I definitely want to read this book. My only reservation when approaching these type of books is that I like to learn more and don't mind that it will sadden me but that so many times authors leave no suggestions for improving such problems. I would hate to read all that and then feel doubly depressed because I can't help. Thanks for putting this on my radar! I just completed "The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry" and just started reading "In other words" by Jhumpa Lahiri.
Matthew Desmond in the book does talk about changes that can make it less likely for landlords to take advantage of those at the bottom of the market. But he admits it’s still imperfect. In the meantime he’s started justshelter.org to raise awareness on the lack of affordable housing. He's also started the Evicted Book Foundation to help those people addressed in his book.
+ThePoptimist Oh that's great. I'll check them out too. Thanks for another great video.
First Ghettoside and now this. Another nonfiction I was already looking at, and after your review it's officially on the TBR. How do you choose your books? You always read such interesting things.
LOL - thanks! Lots of input from booktube, podcasts and online publications - throw it in the blender and voila - TBR.
GodBless you 🌕 #MatthewDesmond
Book added to the top of my TBR
worth the read - hope you enjoy!
Picked it up from the library on Monday and just finished it. I agree this book is really important and it changed the way I think about poverty and housing. I do think the meat of the book is in the Epilogue and did have some trouble with the organization of the Parts 1-3 (as in I had trouble remembering who was who given how many people are introduced in rapid succession) and I wonder if it would have been more understandable if instead of being organized chronologically, it was organized by characters (so Arleen in one, Scott in one, etc.) but maybe that wouldn't have worked because of the interconnectedness of the narratives. Would love to other people's thoughts?
It was more a compelling dissertation instead of a well-researched story. First and foremost was an accumulation of facts, shored up by the individual narratives and the consistent footnoting that often took me out of the story. It’s a credit to Desmond that it remained as compelling as it was. He could have easily arranged it for more dramatic effect, (the fire comes and goes so quickly) but I think he wanted to present the facts and ideas first and foremost.
Wow, that sounds both fascinating and depressing.
I find regulations (and lack of regulations) around rental procedures are such interesting things in general (I'm a renter in Texas and a landlord in Ontario, and comparing the paperwork we see on both ends is wild), but I can only imagine what a minefield that low end of the market must be like. Definitely adding this to my to-read pile!
Wow - i can only imagine! It the very low end of the market sees power consolidate in the landlord where that may not be as much the case in middle to high income rentals. I get the feeling that renters have a bit more sway in Ontario than they would in the US - though that may be more class based than regional.
Yeah, there's no equivalent to the provincial Landlord and Tenant Boards in the US (or at least in Virginia and Texas), so that's the starkest contrast that I've seen. If there's a dispute between tenants and landlords there isn't the same neutral(ish) public service to deal with it, so if someone can't afford legal support, there isn't much they can do.
Even from my privileged corporate ex-pat bubble, I was shocked by some of the questions that are apparently standard on Texas lease agreements, so I can only imagine how much more invasive they must be for people who don't really have other options.
omg where on earth is this happening? i live in section 8 and all the stuff u r talking about is protected and we get inspections every year from section 8 to make sure our unit and apartment complex is livable and being taken care of and u dont get kicked out if a domestic violence deal happens
Hey buddy just wanted to let you know that I am a big fan of the show.
Thanks! Appreciate the thumbs up.
Wow! This seems like an amazing book to read.
Desmond does a fantastic job of humanizing the problem even if he does tend towards academic minutia - worth checking out
thank you for the recommendation
I was wondering if you can analyze all of the characters a bit more... I was confused by the character overload.
There were a ton of characters but what was pervasive throughout was how badly the odds were stacked against them. The first eviction makes subsequent evictions more likely and it becomes ever more difficult to climb out of that hole.
Oh god moving house, ugh, I am hating it. I found divorce way easier. However the description of this book make me feel like I have no right to moan whatsoever. This book sounds incredible, harrowing but incredible.
Moving homes has always been nuts, though we’ve gotten better at it with each subsequent move - helped in part by relying less and less on pizza, beer and friends and instead going with money and movers. Knock on wood it’ll be years before I need to move again.