“A barnburner of a book.” —New York Times Book Review

“Jones chronicles the human toll of COVID and how the pandemic served to exacerbate the deep inequalities already baked into American society. The book not only explores the ways in which illness intersects with poverty, race, and disability; it also critiques an American economy that leaves many, including herself, living ‘[a] middle-class life threatened on all sides by catastrophe.’” —Kate Tuttle, The Boston Globe

“A deeply reported, enlightening, and empathetic look at the populations that were hit hardest by the pandemic . . . The most powerful parts of her book are the personal stories she gathers from families affected by COVID-19.” —Associated Press

“Incisive . . . In the tradition of Barbara Ehrenreich, [Jones] combines interviews and firsthand observation of poverty with deeply researched history. . . . A full-throated, class-first critique of how the right-wing tendencies of American capitalism made the pandemic so devastating for the working poor . . . What Jones brings to this telling is an unflinching focus on American capital, its unholy marriage to the political class, and the way that union has eroded ordinary people’s faith in authorities.” —The New Republic

“Sarah Jones’s dispatches on culture, politics, and religion for New York over the years have been essential reading. . . . A gripping, important subject given justice by its chronicler.” —Inside Hook

“A disquieting examination of the systemic flaws laid bare by Covid. … Jones’s vision of America isn’t one where the poor stumbled into Covid-era tragedy by happenstance but one in which it was intentionally engineered, and she interweaves her account with a mind-boggling assortment of anecdotes and insights that showcase systemic harm and humiliation. … It’s a ghastly panorama of the American way of life.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Written with brutal honesty, Disposable is an unflinching look at a country that does less than nothing to protect its most vulnerable people. . . . Infuriating but vital, Disposable will be especially appreciated by readers of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto and Evicted. . . . Readable and compassionate.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)

“Jones examines ways in which the excesses of predatory capitalism can be contained. . . . A powerful, heartfelt argument for a more humane economics.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Sarah Jones’s writing about economic disparity is always compelling. In this book, she blends personal narrative and reporting to tell the story of America’s devastating culture of inequality. It’s a subject that couldn’t be more timely, or urgent.” —LitHub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2025”

“Disposable is a massive work of journalism—and a masterful act of love. Meticulously reported, voraciously researched, and poignantly rendered, Sarah Jones makes the blurry clear and the unseen visible. Both a scathing rebuke of corporate health care and a clear-eyed call to action, this book reminds us that we should not and cannot put the pandemic behind us.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick