On Fighting Poverty: Perspectives From Experience, edited by James L. Sundquist, 288 pp, $8.50, New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1969.
No longer can the problem of poverty be dismissed with Jesus' remark, "Ye have the poor with you always." Today, everyone, rich or poor, physicians or laymen, black-power advocates and white racists, must pay attention to the problems of the poor and the programs designed to solve them. Almost everyone feels qualified to express opinions, but few of us are well informed. In an effort to gather reliable information and significant ideas, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences organized a seminar. During the academic year 1966-1967, outstanding social scientists and officials in government programs met for ten weekends and discussed their viewpoints and experiences. These two volumes contain the fruit of their conferences.
On Understanding Poverty includes 12 papers about the nature and causes of poverty. Is poverty a