This informative volume examines John Steinbeck's life and work, with a specific look at key ideas related to The Pearl. The book discusses a variety of topics, including whether Kino chooses enslavement to wealth in order to escape poverty, and whether the townspeople have a parasitic relationship with the poor. The book also explores contemporary perspectives on poverty, such as the changing views of the term "culture of poverty" and the relationship between Western materialism and spiritual depression.