I find it quite difficult to rate nonfiction and this was no exception. I felt it was well written, researched, and that I learned something from each chapter. I am curious to see how this book will be received now that it is published, I do feel like I got what I wanted out of it and am more aware of the issues built into our system.

POVERTY FOR PROFIT by Anne Kim seeks to show "How Corporations Get Rich off America's Poor" and Kim, who is an award-winning author, lawyer and public policy expert, is strident in her condemnation: "self-serving private interests have hijacked the war on poverty." For example, did you know that "the vast majority of dialysis services in America are provided by just two companies, whose centers are disproportionately located in low income neighborhoods"? OR that low-income taxpayers in Maryland claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit lost at least $50 million to tax preparation fees in 2020? Klein focuses on "the often pivotal role of private industry as intermediaries between government and people in poverty .... with interests often at odds with both the government and the people they purport to serve." In addition to dialysis and tax preparation, Kim profiles industries like welfare management for the states, education or job training, and dentistry. Painful reading at times, POVERTY FOR PROFIT offers an enlightening perspective on the obstacles faced by and the exploitation of America's poor. Notes are well-documented and encompass roughly a third of the text.

Anne Kim has done an amazing job researching for Poverty for Profit. Each one of the chapters could probably be a book by itself.

News media and politicians like to give soundbites about combating poverty, but I highly suggest reading this book if you want to learn more about poverty in America.

Thank you Anne Kim and New Press for the ARC.

Anne Kim peels back the various layers of greed and corruption in industry that profits from people’s despair. Well researched and timely, this is a highly recommended look into a shameful part of American capitalism.