while interesting the the last 100 pages seems the most out of touch.  the first 2/3rds seem to really focus on and discuss the environment and circumstance of poor white people the last 1/3rd seema more to say "look at the poor whites aren't they poor" but does little to explain the conditions of how until the epilogue. 
a lot of the book is focused on the southern white poor and doesn't expand much from there. I would've loved more of a look north or west to round of the history.
there's a point where it seems the author is almost criticizing the capitilization of white trash stories written by the well off, but it also seems like that is also exactly what the author is doing. 
I think I learned more about how I see class and white trash thru the ways I disagreed with this book.