A professor of social work and public policy at the University of Michigan known for his expertise on the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and studies on poverty in the United States.

Her home and life are depicted in the opening chapters, providing insight into the struggles of the $2-a-day poor, as she faces repeated failures in finding employment.

Featured predominantly in Chapter 1, her story illustrates how a small financial setback can lead to a downward spiral into extreme poverty without a safety net.

Introduced in Chapters 2 through 4, her experiences reveal the compromises and moral dilemmas faced by those living in $2-a-day poverty, including the necessity to sell her SNAP benefits.

Chapters 2 and 3 reveal her life shaped by numerous traumatic events, highlighting the increased vulnerability to such experiences among the impoverished.

Her story in Chapter 4 shows how she earns cash by selling plasma multiple times per week, illustrating the health sacrifices made by those in poverty.

In the latter part of Chapter 4, he is depicted as working hard through various informal means, despite being officially unemployed, to support his large family.

Featured in Chapter 5, her family's situation is portrayed with a sense of stability, attributed to receiving a Section 8 voucher that provides housing security.

Her difficult childhood is described in Chapter 5, highlighting the physical and emotional challenges of growing up in poverty and the generational impact of deprivation.