Structure

The vast majority of this text is structured in a narrative format. The narrative is driven by the experiences of the individual’s profiled. Their stories are arranged into three broadly themed sections, but they are generally presented chronologically and focus on important events, as necessary. At points, entire chapters are written without shifts between individuals or interruption for Desmond’s commentary. When the author inserts commentary, it generally serves to suggest, through anecdotal or statistical evidence, that an individual’s experience is widespread. The exceptions to this structure are the Epilogue and About this Project, both of which are written solely in the author’s voice. The Epilogue is a summary of the author’s major arguments and suggests potential solutions. About this Project describes his motivations and research methods, most notably his effort to reduce the role of his own voice in the book.

Perspective