The Road to Poverty: The Making of Wealth and Hardship in Appalachia by Dwight B. Billings and Kathln M. Blee

Dwight Billings is one of the premier Appalachian scholars. I do not know Kathleen M. Blee, but I think that was really smart to get a woman's perspective in on this effort! There was a man named James Brown - no not THAT James Brown - who was even more of an Appalachian Studies pioneer than Dwight. He started doing a long-range study of the people of Tegis Creek in Clay County, Kentucky, decades ago, and Dwight is following up on that treasure trove of scholarship. Is this book worthy of a decent publisher?  How about Cambridge University Press?  Yes, the one run by THAT British University. Here's what THEY have to say about this book - "Intended for social scientists, historians, and readers interested in social change and social poverty, this book examines the roots of entrenched poverty in Appalachia. It is both a social history of the creation of chronic poverty (and wealth) in Clay County, KY and an explication of how economic markets, cultural strategies, and the state interact