The University of Texas at Tyler Libraries

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This book grew out of the 1986 W.E.B. DuBois Lectures given by Edelman, head of the Children's Defense Fund. Edelman emphasizes the abysmal situation of poor families and children, especially (but not only) black families in America, the national scope of the problem, and the mutuality of interest that calls for a solution. She believes strongly in the positive role of goverment policy vis a vis social change, the importance of fact finding, the necessity of understanding and working with manageable segments of the problem to effect and sustain immediate and long-term efforts essential to break the generational circle of povertyto ensure for America that all our children are healthy, educated, productive, and compassionate. Reasoned, practical, intensely earnest, this is highly recommended. Suzanne W. Wood, SUNY Agricultural & Technical Coll. Lib., Alfred (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund and a scholar of black and white family life, pursues an agenda of changes in social structure. She offers good empirical evidence to support her incisive analysis, and writes with a moral concern reminiscent of Michael Harrington's The New American Poverty (1984). The documentation is well selected, relevant, and recent. Edelman's focus is often on the implications of policy for the welfare of children. Although different in style, her work is similar to Charles V. Willie's A New Look at Black Families (2nd ed., 1981). A nice addition to collections in social sciences, social problems, family policy, and poverty. Public and academic libraries, community college level up.-Y. Peterson, Saint Xavier College