Overview

In this ""barn burner of a book"" (The New York Times Book Review) New York magazine senior writer Sarah Jones blends personal stories and in-depth reporting to expose the harsh reality of America's culture of inequality and the devastating impact of the pandemic on our nation's most vulnerable people. In the tradition of Matthew Desmond's Evicted and Andrea Elliot's Invisible Child, Disposable is a poignant exploration of America's underclass, left vulnerable by systemic racism and capitalism. Here, Sarah Jones delves into the lives of the essential workers, seniors, and people with disabilities who were disproportionately affected by COVID-19--not due to their age or profession, but because of the systemic inequality and poverty that left them exposed. The pandemic served as a stark revelation of the true state of America, a country where the dream of prosperity is a distant mirage for millions. Jones argues that the pandemic didn't create these dynamics but rather revealed the existing social mobility issues and wealth gap that have long plagued the nation. Behind the staggering death toll are stories of lives lost, injustices suffered, and institutions that failed to protect their people. Jones brings these stories to the forefront, transforming the abstract concept of the pandemic into a deeply personal and political phenomenon. Her book ""stands as a reminder of the lessons our country has willfully ignored--an especially stark one with Donald Trump back in the White House and further shredding the social safety net"" (The Washington Post).

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9781982197421

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A disquieting examination of the systemic flaws laid bare by Covid. ... Jones's vision of America isn't one where the poor stumbled into Covid-era tragedy by happenstance but one in which it was intentionally engineered, and she interweaves her account with a mind-boggling assortment of anecdotes and insights that showcase systemic harm and humiliation. ... It's a ghastly panorama of the American way of life."" --Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""Jones examines ways in which the excesses of predatory capitalism can be contained. . . . A powerful, heartfelt argument for a more humane economics."" --Kirkus Reviews ""Disposable is a massive work of journalism--and a masterful act of love. Meticulously reported, voraciously researched, and poignantly rendered, Sarah Jones makes the blurry clear and the unseen visible. Both a scathing rebuke of corporate health care and a clear-eyed call to action, this book reminds us that we should not and cannot put the pandemic behind us."" --Beth Macy, author of Dopesick ""Jones, a senior writer for New York magazine covering politics and religion, offers a mix of reporting and personal narrative as she explores inequality in the United States. Using COVID as her marker, she exposes how the nation creates an underclass it then sacrifices; she also lays out arguments to turn the tide."" --Library Journal

Author Information

Sarah Jones is a senior writer for New York magazine, where she covers politics and religion. She was previously a staff writer for The New Republic and her work has been published by The Nation, the Columbia Journalism Review, and Dissent magazine. Jones won the 2019 Mirror Award for commentary and has been a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is active on social media (@OneSarahJones). Originally from rural Washington County, Virginia, she now lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

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