Focusing on the urban poor, this book explains their way of life. Using working-class autobiographies and other evidence from working-class people themselves, it shows how people reacted to poverty, and brings to the fore their strategies for coping with their situation. It provides an introduction to those seeking to understand poverty.

Poverty amidst Prosperity is the ideal introduction to those seeking to understand poverty from the grassroots. Its wide range of evidence, clear analysis and strong argument stress the importance of communities and give a voice to those whom traditional history has marginalized