I read this book for my sociology class. While I agree completely that class matters I think Bell Hooks does an extremely poor job of explaining why. Throughout the novel I felt like I was reading a paper written by a ten year old. Things just don't make sense. Also, the way it's written is very subjective, taking away any credibility it might have had. She does make some good points but nothing that other books about the same subject don't make. It's not worth trudging through the repetative nonsense of the rest of the book. Don't waste your money, there are many GOOD books out there (try "Ain't no Makin it" By Jay MacLeod for a good book on same topic).