Jacob A. Riis was a journalist and social reformer known for his impactful photographs and descriptions of urban poverty. His influential book, How the Other Half Lives, exposed living conditions among New York City's poor and fueled social change.
If you enjoy reading books by Jacob A. Riis then you might also like the following authors:
If you appreciate Jacob A. Riis for his social reporting, Henry Mayhew will appeal to you as well. Mayhew documented the daily lives and struggles of London's working poor in detailed accounts.
His writing style is observational and realistic, providing readers an authentic look at neglected communities.
His notable work, London Labour and the London Poor, captures vivid interviews and descriptions of street laborers, vendors, and beggars, revealing the harsh realities they faced.
Fans of Jacob A. Riis's work exploring poverty and social injustice might also like Upton Sinclair. Sinclair wrote passionately and critically about social inequality and corruption.
In his well-known novel The Jungle, Sinclair exposes the difficult working and living conditions of immigrant workers in the Chicago meatpacking plants. His vivid, blunt storytelling helped spark significant reforms in industry standards and labor laws.
If you're drawn to Jacob A. Riis’s investigative reporting style, you'll find Lincoln Steffens equally intriguing. Steffens focused on uncovering political corruption and ineffective governance in American cities.
His clear, direct style aims to hold power accountable, much like Riis. His influential collection, The Shame of the Cities, outlines how corruption damaged public life and civic well-being in the early 1900s.
If you enjoy how Jacob A. Riis uncovered social issues, consider reading Ida Tarbell too. Tarbell is recognized for her meticulous investigative journalism exposing injustices and abuses of industrial power. Her writing style is clear, authoritative, and well-researched.
Her notable work The History of the Standard Oil Company details the unfair practices, corruption, and monopoly tactics of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, contributing powerfully to public awareness and reform.
Readers who appreciate Jacob A. Riis's photography highlighting societal issues will also admire Lewis Hine. Hine used powerful, sympathetic photographs to advocate for social change, especially on behalf of child laborers.
His photographs document living and working conditions compassionately and honestly. His notable photographic collection, Child Labor in America, vividly captured the toll that industrial labor took on children, prompting important labor reforms.
Stephen Crane wrote realistic stories that vividly showed the harsh realities of life. Like Jacob A. Riis, he focused on people who struggled against poverty and hardship.
In his novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, Crane portrays the brutal daily life of a young woman in New York City's slums. His direct, honest style captures the desperation and challenges faced by people in poverty.
Theodore Dreiser's novels highlight the struggles of everyday individuals against social and economic pressures, similar to Riis's journalistic depictions. His style is straightforward and unflinching.
A good example is his novel Sister Carrie, which explores a young woman's struggle to find success and happiness in the harsh environment of urban America.
Jane Addams wrote clearly and compassionately about social issues. As a social reformer, she shared Riis's passion and vision for improving the lives of impoverished families in urban slums.
Her book, Twenty Years at Hull-House, documents her experiences providing valuable services to disadvantaged communities in Chicago and promotes progressive social reform.
Dorothea Lange, primarily a documentary photographer, shares Riis's ability to expose inequality and hardship through powerful visual images. Her photographs are empathetic, honest portrayals of people during the Great Depression, capturing their dignity and struggle.
Her famous collection, An American Exodus: A Record of Human Erosion, chronicles the hardship faced by migrants and poor families in the 1930s.
Walker Evans was a photographer known for his direct and realistic style. Like Riis, he conveyed the struggles of working-class and impoverished Americans through stark, revealing images. His notable work, Let Us
Now Praise Famous Men (created in collaboration with writer James Agee), vividly depicts the harsh lives of tenant farmers during the Great Depression, bringing their personal stories and quiet heroism to light.
James Agee wrote thoughtful, vivid accounts of ordinary people's struggles. His writing mixes storytelling with social commentary and clear-eyed observation, much like Jacob A. Riis. In his book Let Us
Now Praise Famous Men, Agee teamed up with photographer Walker Evans to capture the everyday hardships faced by sharecropper families during the Great Depression, showing a profound empathy and attention to detail.
George Orwell was known for his straightforward style and sharp criticisms of poverty and social injustice. Like Jacob A. Riis, he exposed societal issues by immersing himself directly in the lives of the less fortunate.
Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London is a detailed and honest portrayal of poverty in these two European cities, focusing on the real daily life experiences of those in need.
Studs Terkel specialized in capturing the voices and stories of regular people. His writing shares Riis's commitment to giving ordinary individuals a platform to share their experiences and struggles. In the book Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day
and How They Feel About What They Do, Terkel gathers personal accounts from workers across America, shining a light on their diverse roles, thoughts, and challenges.
Michael Harrington wrote clearly and passionately about poverty in America, firmly believing in the need for social change. Like Jacob A. Riis, Harrington sought to bring the overlooked struggles of marginalized communities to public attention.
His influential book, The Other America, highlights the hidden poverty that existed in the United States in the 1960s, pushing readers towards greater awareness and compassion.
Nellie Bly combined investigative reporting with a lively, committed writing style. Like Jacob A. Riis, she went undercover to reveal uncomfortable truths about society's vulnerable populations.
In her groundbreaking piece Ten Days in a Mad-House, Bly feigned mental illness to expose serious mistreatment in a New York women's asylum, leading to important improvements in how society treated the mentally ill.