Award-winning American sociologist Matthew Desmond explains why poverty persists in one of the wealthiest nations in the world.

The U.S. is one of the richest nations in the world, and yet more than 38 million U.S. citizens cannot afford basic necessities.

While the country's economy keeps expanding, more and more people are losing their homes, families, and lives due to unemployment and inadequate healthcare.

Growing up in a low-income family in Arizona and experiencing eviction in his youth, American sociologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond devoted his career to researching poverty, housing insecurity, and public policy.

In Poverty, by America, Desmond discusses how growing income inequality benefits a small portion of the U.S. population while putting most people at risk.