A Social History of Poverty from the Modern Age to the Present. Economic inequalities are as old as humanity, and the poor, unfortunately, have always existed. What has changed historically is the way the poor have been considered and treated.

This book weaves together a centuries-old story that begins at the dawn of the modern age, when for the first time the poor lost the sacred conception he had in the Middle Ages and became, in the eyes of the dominant groups, guilty of his condition. Some people are considered dangerous because of their social status, because they are poor. They have done nothing wrong, have committed no crimes, yet they are suspect and therefore dangerous. When and why did we begin to fear the poor? And what has changed over the centuries?