"The American economy is stalled because business and political leaders are ignoring the one force that could truly re-energize their companies and the economy: the poor. The massive economic energy and potential of the poor and the struggling middle class has been left on the sidelines. John Hope Bryant's stirring book shows how this came to be and lays out some simple ideas for making the economy work again--for everyone. The poor are not stupid or lazy, but they know when the system is stacked against them. Business loans, home loans, and financial investments have vanished from their communities. The path up to the middle class has disappeared, while the path down from the middle class is in danger of becoming a superhighway. The future of our nation fully depends on overturning powerful myths about how the economy works. Fully 70 percent of the American economy is driven by consumer spending, but more and more consumers have less and less to spend and feel like the deck is stacked against them. When business leaders begin to value the poor and understand that helping them succeed will help the economy thrive, we'll be well on our way to restoring the American Dream of equal economic opportunity"-- Provided by publisher.

"This book has a simple message for business leaders: you help yourselves by helping the poor. Instead of feeling as if the economy is working against them, the poor need to feel they have a stake in it so they will buy your products and put money in the bank. Supporting poor people's efforts to move into the middle class is the only way to enrich everyone, rich and poor alike"-- Provided by publisher.

Machine generated contents note: Chapter 1: Welcome to Separate But Unequal America -- Chapter 2: Why the Wealthy Won't Stay Wealthy if We Keep the Poor Out -- Chapter 3. What the Poor Can Do to Save the Rich -- Chapter 4. How Free Enterprise Integrated the South--We've Seen this Movie Before -- Chapter 5. What the Economic System Will Look Like when It's Mended -- Chapter 6. What the Poor Can Do to Help Themselves--and Others -- Chapter 7. Making the Global Case for Silver Rights -- Chapter 8. Where We Go From Here.