This book investigates the structural and economic barriers that prevent low-income fathers from participating in their children's lives as defined by traditional societal expectations. Timothy Black, a sociologist, utilizes ethnographic research and extensive interviews to document the lives of men living on the economic margins. The work argues that welfare reform and market-based economic policies create systemic obstacles that undermine the agency and parental roles of these men, rather than supporting their efforts to provide for their families.

Sociologists and policy researchers frequently cite this work for its nuanced portrayal of fatherhood within the context of systemic poverty. Experts highlight the text as a significant contribution to the literature on how economic policy directly shapes personal identity and family structure.