Desmond’s goal is to answer the question, “Why is there so much poverty in the world’s richest country?” And propose a solution. Bernie Sanders and the fight for $15 minimum wages have brought this topic into more of a mainstream conversation, so not many will be shocked to see the system is rigged against the poor. Desmond’s explanation of the far-reaching effects of American tax law, real estate market, and ongoing racism deserves the spotlight he is providing, but his prose morphs from explicatory to sententious sermonizing. His proposals for addressing the problem are not in any way radical or unique. While I started out really enjoying this book, by the end I was ready to be done. It feels like a man riding a wave of success and trying to cash in before the wave dies (the book is less than 200 pages). I hate I felt this way because the topic is so dire and he does have some good nuggets of information in it, but he should have taken his time and done much more.