From Poor Law to Welfare State, 6th Edition : A History of Social Welfare in America

Rating:
Summary: New info
Review: This book, though dry at times, gives a realistic and more complete look at American history. This was required reading for a college course I took. The history contained here is not what is taught in highschool and I was surprised at just how much I did not know about life in America before I was born.
America has a very ugly past and present in many ways. We have oppressed, demoralized, institionalized, degraded, segregated, stereotyped, and persecuted millions of persons over the years. What is unfortunate is that with all our advances in business and technology... there are still single mothers living on the streets, starving with their children. There are still foreign workers being payed much less than minimum wage. There are still persons living with mental illness being drugged and institionalized. The rich are still getting richer, as they exploit the poor and working classes.
America has much to be proud of. America also has much to be ashamed of. This book sheds light on some of the crimes that we (America) has committed against its own people, as we continue to point fingers at others wrongs.

Rating:
Summary: A broad, sweeping history of America and Charity
Review: Trattner takes the reader back in time to define how modern American has developed its current welfare state. Certainly this is a task that cannot be fully done in only 400 pages. The only weakness in this book is that it is too brief. It does not go into enough detail, but it is comprehensive enough to give a solid introduction to the modern American welfare state and the issues that face America's poor. This is a good book.

Rating:
Summary: A broad, sweeping history of America and Charity
Review: Trattner takes the reader back in time to define how modern American has developed its current welfare state. Certainly this is a task that cannot be fully done in only 400 pages. The only weakness in this book is that it is too brief. It does not go into enough detail, but it is comprehensive enough to give a solid introduction to the modern American welfare state and the issues that face America's poor. This is a good book.