Homeless: Thirty Days Undercover in America's Exploding Subculture

Shelterlessness, drugs, poverty, sickness, crime... not only in blighted urban ghettos, but rapidly spreading throughout middle America. Curtis Jefferson Jenkins, a licensed Private Investigator, went undercover within the homeless community for 30 consecutive days to live or die on the street. He kept a detailed diary of his day-to-day experiences that now comprise the heart of this landmark non-fiction book. Starting out with just the clothes on his back, Jenkins left his comfortable suburban home to work through "the system" the way the homeless do: Searching for shelter... looking for work... trying to get ahead somehow. Jenkins recounts every tragedy - & triumph - that occurred while he lived among America's invisible underground. This book gives a factual account of life in homeless shelters & exposes the myths surrounding who - & where - the homeless really are; the role of state programs & church charity; the unemployment issue; & what life on the street is actually like. The book also provides an interesting epilogue & surprise ending that will impact the academic & recreational reader alike. Three appendices are included with references.