The book was successful. Soon after its publication, "The New York Times" lauded its content, calling it a "powerful book". The praise for "How the Other Half Lives" continued in many other newspapers all across the country. Many of these enthusiastic reviews were seen in Christian newsletters, which enjoyed Riis' view on the moral issues of poverty. "The Christian Intelligencer" reviewed the first edition saying "Books like this that lift the curtains and expose to public gaze the great evils of the system will hasten the day of reform." Many of these Christian reviewers found Riis' work to be applicable to their own cities, and called for similar reforms that Riis outlines in "How the Other Half Lives".