The best new books I’ve read in the last month are
- (5.0) Trash: A Poor White Journey by Cedar Monroe (Broadleaf Books, 2024)
- (4.5) The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jack Bittle (Simon & Schuster, 2024)
- (4.5) The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming the Faith, and Refounding Democracy by Jim Wallis (St. Martins, 2024)
- (4.5) A Faith of Many Rooms: Inhabiting a More Spacious Christianity by Debie Thomas (Broadleaf Books, 2024)
- (4.5) A Paradise of Small Houses: The Evolution, Revolution, and Potential Rebirth of Urban Housing by Max Podemski (Beacon Press, 2024)
- (4.0) Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage & Compassion When Cruelty is Trending by John Pavlovitz (Westminster John Knox Press, 2024)
- (4.0) Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg (Random House, 2024)
- (4.0) The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain by Joe Davis (Barrett-Koehler Publishers, 2024)
Trash
“Poor whites are the largest group of poor people in the United States. 33 percent of white people are poor. That is roughly 20 percent of the US population . . . The system of capitalism unique to the United States has been wildly effective, both at creating wealth for those in power and keeping poor people fighting among themselves in the process” (p.14).
Cedar Monroe was raised in this culture and has served in ministry as an Episcopal priest, chaplain, and activist in it. Trash: A Poor White Journey offers an account that challenges assumptions while bringing this world to life in rich and varied ways through compelling storytelling.
And, it serves as a reminder that words matter, including words used to describe poor populations. All people are created in God’s image; no one is trash.
Welcome Back
Three authors on this month’s list have appeared on So What Faith in the past:
- Jim Wallis was featured earlier this month as one of the top authors on So What Faith between 2009 and 2024. He has been mentioned in at least 10 blog posts during that time and has authored three books that received So What Faith book of the year awards: Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus (2019), America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America (2016), and On God’s Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned About Serving the Common Good (2013).
- Debie Thomas appeared in 2022 on the occasion of the publication of her first book: Into the Mess: & Other Jesus Stories: Reflections on the Life of Christ (4.0).
- John Pavlovitz has been mentioned on four occasions, including for three books: Rise: An Authentic Lenten Devotional (4.0), If God is Love Don’t Be a Jerk: Finding a Faith that Makes us Better Humans (5.0), and Low: An Honest Advent Devotional (3.5).