Book Club Post 1

For my book club project I am reading "The Working Poor: Invisible in America" by David Shipler. So far this book has touched upon the issue of poverty as universal, affecting people of all different races, genders, and locations across the United States. The story focuses on those individuals who live right above the U.S. government's poverty line, which they wrongfully give a specific monetary income value. However, this number leaves out many individuals who are equally in need of assistance, due to their varying personal situations. I think this book sends an important message that many young people are unaware of, tying into the "Invisible in America" part of the title. Shipler places a face to these heartbreaking and inspiring stories, making the issue of poverty more understandable. I truly admire many of the individuals in this piece, because they remain strong, even when the odds are against them. It is important to refer to them as individuals and not characters, because Shipler specified that none of these people or stories were fabricated. I appreciated Shipler's use of details and imagery in his scenes. I think this employment of visual imagery helped Shipler's characters become more real and relate-able to the reader. I am looking forward to continuing to read this story, because growing up in the city, poverty has always been an issue on my mind.