[1] It examines the relationship between race and poverty in the United States, and the history of American inner-city ghettos.

[3] Robert Greenstein wrote that "The Truly Disadvantaged should spur critical rethinking in many quarters about the causes and potential remedies for inner city poverty.

As policy makers grapple with the problems of an enlarged underclass, they - as well as community leaders and concerned Americans of all races - would be advised to examine Mr. Wilson's incisive analysis.

"[4] In his review of the book, James Jennings wrote that "...despite its important contribution to ongoing public policy debates regarding race and poverty, it falls short of a complete class and racial analysis and still approaches the black urban poor as politically incompetent.

"[5] In 2001, Mario Luis Small and Katherine Newman described the book as "the most important publication in urban poverty over the past twenty-five years.