Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City is a phenomenal book based on the doctoral research of sociologist Matthew Desmond. Desmond was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2015 (also known as a MacArthur Genius) and his book was recognized with the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 2017. It is meticulously sourced yet richly developed as a narrative which means it is a book that should be read with two bookmarks; one to hold one’s place in the text and the other to hold one’s place in the end notes. In a review for the San Francisco Chronicle, Gabriel Thompson, a Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University, described it a “that rare work that has something genuinely new to say about poverty” (Mar. 2, 2016). And it does, but why would it be recommended in a blog about evaluation? There are five reasons:

1.Complex Systems – Eviction is an example of a complex system involving landlords and tenants, their friends and families, lawyers, judges, social workers, health care workers, educators, property managers, cleaners, movers, not-for-profit agencies, and policy makers at all levels of government. Desmond teases out complex relationships within the system and shows how the solution to one problem is the root of another. This provides a powerful model for evaluators and clients working to define the theory of change for a program.

2.Data – Desmond documents his data collection involving over a million individual records. He demonstrates innovation and excellence in describing his creation of surveys to drill down and disaggregate data and his methods for calculating social costs in order to identify impact and outcomes. Desmond also explores issues of validity and trustworthiness of survey and interview responses with examples of how people living in poverty may misrepresent reality for valid reasons. Powerful lessons for evaluators are presented in these accounts.

3.Social Justice – The purpose of evaluation is to often establish the worth or value of programs in contributing to social change. This is an extraordinary foundational work for understanding home security in an urban context. Desmond’s conclusions about the antecedents, processes, and consequences of eviction are compelling. In a New York Times book review, Barbara Ehrenreich wrote that “Desmond has set a new standard for reporting on poverty” (Feb. 26, 2016). From a client-interest perspective, many service providers will find this book a source of inspiration, especially the epilogue titled Home and Hope.

4.Ethics – As an academic research project, Desmond’s research proposal work would have been subject to a rigorous ethics review process. However, he discusses important issues in working with vulnerable populations that are relevant for evaluators, too.

5.Professional Competencies – The Canadian Evaluation Society defines evaluator competencies in five domains of practice: interpersonal, reflective, technical, situational, and management. There are lessons on each of these domains of competency in Evicted.

The relationship between research and evaluation has been often debated and Desmond’s work is clearly a mixed method ethnographic research project. However, this is a rich read for evaluators and for all with concern for social justice. Whether you buy a copy or borrow one from the library and whether you read it in hard cover, paperback or e-format, this is sure to be one of the most important books you read this year.

Desmond, M. (2016). Evicted: Poverty and profit in the American city. New York, NY: Broadway.  ISBN 978-0-553-44745-3