Introduction -- History -- Measurement -- Living: here and there -- Labour markets -- Distribution and mobility -- Combating poverty -- Whither poverty?

"According to the World Bank, hundreds of millions of people are currently living below the international poverty line. Why, in our modern world, is poverty still endemic? What has been done about it in the past? And what is being done to alleviate poverty today? This Very Short Introduction considers who the poor are, and the factors which increase an individual's economic and social vulnerability, trapping them in poverty. Looking at the complex issues that cause the prevalence, depth and severity of poverty to vary across countries and over time, Philip N. Jefferson considers possible future solutions."-- Taken from inside book-cover.