This story is part of our 2019 Hope Awards contest. To vote for your favorite regional winner, go to wng.org/compassion.

About once a month a WORLD reader asks me, “What should I read to learn how to help the poor and how not to?”

Thirty years ago that question had an easy answer: P.T. Bauer’s Equality, the Third World, and Economic Delusion (1981) broke from failed World Bank perspectives. Charles Murray’s Losing Ground (1984) showed how the Great Society endeavor had failed. Two books: That was about it.

Twelve times my wife and I in our living room have shown small groups of WORLD readers how to become WORLD writers. During a week of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. reporting, writing, and editing, the students ranging in age from 27 to 72 have improved their understanding, story sense, and writing. I’ve just checked our masthead and seen that 31 are now WORLD correspondents.

Editor’s note: Marvin Olasky concludes his monthly biographical series on key individuals from late 19th and early 20th century American history. In February and March, we looked at the life of John D. Rockefeller. In April and May, we studied Grover Cleveland.

Tim Carney is commentary editor at the Washington Examiner and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. His new book, Alienated America, examines why some places thrive while others collapse and explains 2016 voting patterns. Here are edited excerpts of our interview. 

The far-left Daily Kos says It’s Time to Fight Dirty by David Faris (Melville House, 2018) “should be mandatory reading” for all Democrats. Faris proposes statehood for the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and the division of California into seven states: Then Democrats will control the Senate. He wants simple majorities to pass all legislation and approve all appointments. He wants to pack the Supreme Court and appeals courts. He wants voting for felons, with no registration or IDs needed for voting. 

In 2012 Manhattan could boast of 31 developments in which a 2,300-square-foot condo would sell for at least $5 million. Seven fat years later, that number has more than tripled. Some are in parts of the city where neighbors a block away are at least relatively poor, so development owners are creating ways for residents not to have to leave their buildings.