Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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I am doing research on our local poor farm and this has given me more information than I have ever imagined. It definitely starts at the beginning of care for and of the poor and follows through to the end. Trattner has done an excellent job covering the poor laws to modern day social welfare in a comprehensive and straight-forward manner. I have found the book intriguing and thought provoking. Well written to the point that researcher and layman alike can read this book and find it to be a valuable resource.

Professors would be well advised to include this in their classroom. Definitely a book to keep on my shelf for years to come.

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.

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, institutionalized, 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 institutionalized. 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.

This book is loaded with history, a realistic look at Social Welfare in America from past to present. Easy to read and interesting subject matter concerning the helping professions. This book addresses many of the issues that social workers/helping professionals have been facing for centuries.

From what I learned so far from the text, it's a good historical overview for individual interested in policy. It's easy to read and understand. I am truly enjoying the book so far.

This book really help me with understanding the welfare system. Also it has help me in my Social Welfare class.

Probably the best book I've read regarding the history of social work. I will most likely use this book as a reference when I become an instructor. Incredibly thorough and interesting.

This product came WELL in advance of when it was scheduled to come and was in the condition that it said it would be :)

Other than a few minor pencil marks, which came out easily, this book was as good as new; a great value!

Very interesting articles that pertain to the evolution of social welfare in the U.S. well written.