$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by H. Luke Shaefer And Kathryn Edin
In their book, $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America, H. Luke Shaefer and Kathryn Edin set out to document the lives of those living in poverty in the United States. What they found was shocking: there are millions of Americans who are surviving on just $2.00 a day.
These families are living hand-to-mouth, often skipping meals or eating only one meal a day in order to make ends meet.
They live in substandard housing and have little to no access to healthcare or education. And yet, despite all of these challenges, they manage to get by day after day.
Shaefer and Edin’s book is an important look at the reality of poverty in America today.
It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the issues facing our country’s most vulnerable citizens.
In “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America”, H. Luke Shaefer and Kathryn Edin set out to explore the lives of those living in poverty in the United States. What they found was shocking: there are millions of Americans who are living on just $2.00 a day.
These families are not homeless or jobless, but they are struggling to make ends meet.
They often have to choose between buying food and paying rent, and many live in constant fear of eviction or utility shutoffs. Children in these families go without basic necessities like clothes and shoes, and their parents worry about how they will ever afford to send them to college.
The book offers a rare glimpse into the lives of those who are barely surviving on the margins of our society.
It is both eye-opening and heartbreaking, and it should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the realities of poverty in America today.
Credit: fordschool.umich.edu
What Inspired the Authors to Write This Book
In 2006, J.K. Rowling released the seventh and final book in her Harry Potter series. The Deathly Hallows ended with a showdown between good and evil, as Harry faced off against Lord Voldemort for the last time. It was a fitting end to a beloved series that had captured the imaginations of readers around the world.
But what inspired Rowling to write such an iconic series in the first place? In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, she revealed that the idea for Harry Potter came to her while she was on a train from Manchester to London in 1990. She was struggling with personal issues at the time and found herself daydreaming about a young wizard who went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
From there, the story simply unfolded in her mind and she started writing it down as soon as she got home.
Rowling has said that many of her own experiences informed the stories she wrote about Harry Potter. For example, like Harry, she was raised by an single mother after her father passed away when she was young.
She also knows what it’s like to be poor, as she struggled financially for many years before becoming a successful author. Even some of the names in the books are based on people from her own life, such as Hermione Granger (named after one of her favorite authors) and Severus Snape (based on a teacher she disliked).
It’s clear that Rowling put a lot of thought into creating her magical world and its inhabitants.
And it’s this attention to detail that has made Harry Potter one of the most popular book series of all time.
What is the Book About
“The Catcher in the Rye” is a novel by J.D. Salinger about a teenager named Holden Caulfield who is kicked out of a prestigious boarding school and becomes a wanderer in New York City. The novel follows Holden’s adventures over the course of three days, during which he encounters various characters, including a prostitute, a pimp, and an old friend. “The Catcher in the Rye” has been banned from many schools because of its language and subject matter.
What are Some of the Key Findings in the Book
In his book, “The Key Findings,” Dr. John Gottman presents a comprehensive and research-based approach to understanding relationships. He outlines several key findings that can help improve our understanding of how relationships work and what goes into making them successful. Here are some of the key takeaways from the book:
1. Couples who have a strong relationship base tend to weather difficult times better than those whose foundation is not as solid. In other words, couples who are more in love tend to stick together even when things get tough. This finding is based on extensive research conducted by Gottman over many years.
2. One of the biggest predictors of divorce is contempt – feeling superior to or looking down on one’s partner. If you want your relationship to last, it’s important to avoid contempt at all cost.
3. Another important predictor of divorce is stonewalling – shutting down emotionally during arguments or disagreements.
When one partner stonewalls, it creates an emotional distance that can be very difficult to overcome.
4. It’s not always easy to express our needs and wants in a relationship, but it’s important to do so anyway. When we hold back from our partners, it can lead to resentment and frustration over time.
5 .Repair attempts are crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship – after an argument or disagreement, it’s important to make an effort towards repairing things between you and your partner (even if you’re not the one who started the fight). These repair attempts can be small but significant gestures that show you care about making things right again.
Gottman’s book provides readers with a wealth of knowledge about relationships – everything from how they work, to what goes wrong, and how we can fix them when they do go awry.
How Do the Authors Suggest We Can Reduce Poverty in America
The United States Census Bureau defines poverty as “a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health care, shelter and education.” According to their most recent estimate, 43.1 million Americans lived in poverty in 2015 – that’s 14.3% of the population. For children under the age of 18, the poverty rate was even higher at 21.4%.
There are a number of ways we can reduce poverty in America. Some suggestions from experts include:
1. Investing in early childhood education and care.
High-quality early childhood programs have been shown to improve school performance and future earnings potential for low-income kids.
2. Making sure all Americans have access to affordable health care. A recent study found that nearly half of all working adults in the U.S., or about 41 million people, cannot afford basic medical care.
Lack of access to quality health care can worsen existing health problems and lead to new ones down the road.
3. Expanding job opportunities for low-wage workers through things like increasing the minimum wage and investing in job training programs. Research shows that raising the minimum wage would lift millions of American families out of poverty and help close the income gap between rich and poor households.
And while some argue that job training programs are too expensive or don’t work, a 2016 study found that every dollar invested in certain types of training programs generated up to $17 in economic benefits for society as a whole (including things like increased tax revenue and reduced spending on social welfare programs).
Kathryn Edin and Luke Shaefer – $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America
Conclusion
In their book “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America”, H. Luke Shaefer and Kathryn Edin set out to document the lives of those living in poverty in the United States. What they found was that, despite working often multiple jobs, many Americans are only one missed paycheck away from being homeless. The book tells the stories of several families who struggle to make ends meet on a daily basis, and highlights the various programs and policies that could help them get by.
While $2.00 a day may not seem like much, for these families it is a constant battle just to survive.