Thousands of prices just dropped across Thryft
Our price drop is now live! Find lowered prices on thousands of one-of-a-kind finds across Thryft
Free delivery on all orders above RM80 to Malaysia
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections!

Bestselling Fiction
Bestselling Nonfiction
Bestselling Books for Children
Vintage and Rare Books
Vinyl Records
Women's Clothing
Men's Clothing

Find more of what you love

Get thoughtful picks from Thryft’s ever-changing collection of pre-loved books, vinyl and CDs—plus occasional sales and events.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Thryft. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Just Arrived

Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass

by Theodore Dalrymple
RM41.00 MYR
Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass
Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass

Poverty, responsibility, and a provocative diagnosis

Drawing on his psychiatric work in an English hospital and prison, Theodore Dalrymple examines persistent poverty through true-life vignettes. He argues that dysfunctional values and elite culture undermine personal responsibility, presenting a forceful social critique shaped by firsthand observation.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Just Arrived

Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass

by Theodore Dalrymple
RM41.00 MYR
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

ISBN: 9781566635059
Author: Theodore Dalrymple
Publisher: Ivan R Dee, Inc
Date of Publication: 2003-05-01
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Politics, Philosophy, Sociology
Related Topics: Sociology, Poverty, Social Justice, Political Science, Politics, Social Issues, Theory, Society

Description

Here is a searing account-probably the best yet published-of life in the underclass and why it persists as it does. Theodore Dalrymple, a British psychiatrist who treats the poor in a slum hospital and a prison in England, has seemingly seen it all. Yet in listening to and observing his patients, he is continually astonished by the latest twist of depravity that exceeds even his own considerable experience. Dalrymple's key insight in Life at the Bottom is that long-term poverty is caused not by economics but by a dysfunctional set of values, one that is continually reinforced by an elite culture searching for victims. This culture persuades those at the bottom that they have no responsibility for their actions and are not the molders of their own lives. Drawn from the pages of the cutting-edge political and cultural quarterly City Journal, Dalrymple's book draws upon scores of eye-opening, true-life vignettes that are by turns hilariously funny, chillingly horrifying, and all too revealing-sometimes all at once. And Dalrymple writes in prose that transcends journalism and achieves the quality of literature.
 

Poverty, responsibility, and a provocative diagnosis

Drawing on his psychiatric work in an English hospital and prison, Theodore Dalrymple examines persistent poverty through true-life vignettes. He argues that dysfunctional values and elite culture undermine personal responsibility, presenting a forceful social critique shaped by firsthand observation.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Politics Books

Shop all
Stanning Najib: Fanning a Personality Cult in Malaysian Politics
Clarissa Ai Ling Lee, Amirul Adli Rosli | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

Stanning Najib: Fanning a Personality Cult in Malaysian Politics

In one line

Political fandom through Najib Razak’s social media afterlife

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

Why Did BERSATU Leave Pakatan Harapan?
Wan Saiful Wan Jan | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

Why Did BERSATU Leave Pakatan Harapan?

In one line

Inside Malaysia’s coalition collapse and BERSATU’s political gamble

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

The Democratic Action Party in Johor
Kevin Zhang | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

The Democratic Action Party in Johor

In one line

How grassroots politics reshaped Johor’s opposition landscape

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

Terrorism in Indonesia After “Islamic State”
Quinton Temby | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

Terrorism in Indonesia After “Islamic State”

In one line

A sharp map of Indonesia’s evolving extremist networks

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

How Working Together Matters: Adversity, Aspiration, Action
David Chan | World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd

How Working Together Matters: Adversity, Aspiration, Action

In one line

Collaborative solutions transforming support for families in crisis

Goodreads 4.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

Advocacy in a Time of Change: Business Associations and the Pakatan Harapan Government in Malaysia, 2018–20
Michael T. Schaper | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

Advocacy in a Time of Change: Business Associations and the Pakatan Harapan Government in Malaysia, 2018–20

In one line

Essential insight into Malaysian business advocacy and reform

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

How Generation Z Galvanized a Revolutionary Movement Against Myanmar's 2021 Military Coup
Tharaphi Than, Sue Ye Lin, Ingrid Jordt | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

How Generation Z Galvanized a Revolutionary Movement Against Myanmar's 2021 Military Coup

In one line

Gen Z transforms resistance through radical inclusion

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

Sons of the Yellow Emperor
Lynn Pan | Harvill Secker

Sons of the Yellow Emperor

In one line

A sweeping human history of the Chinese diaspora

Goodreads 3.98

Condition: Well Read

RM38.00 MYR

Party Mergers in Myanmar: A New Development
Su Mon Thant | Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute

Party Mergers in Myanmar: A New Development

In one line

Ethnic party unity reshaping Myanmar’s federal ambitions

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

A Short History of the World in 50 Lies
Just Arrived
Natasha Tidd | Michael O'mara

A Short History of the World in 50 Lies

In one line

Fifty Lies That Reshaped History

Goodreads 3.59

Condition: Very Good

RM45.00 MYR

Politics Books

Shop all

Philosophy Books

Shop all
Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness
James H. Austin | Mit Pr

Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness

In one line

Neuroscience meets Zen, exploring meditation's effects.

Goodreads 4.09

Condition: Well Read

RM356.00 MYR RM251.00 MYR 29% off

Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future
Paul Mason | Penguin Books Ltd

Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future

In one line

Envisions transformative future beyond current capitalism.

Goodreads 3.75

Condition: Well Read

RM38.00 MYR RM26.00 MYR 32% off

68% off est. retail
Self-Consciousness: Memoirs
John Updike | Penguin

Self-Consciousness: Memoirs

In one line

Introspective journey through personal and historical landscapes.

Goodreads 3.81

Condition: Well Read

RM56.00 MYR RM23.00 MYR 59% off

The Utopians: Six Attempts to Build the Perfect Society
Anna Neima | Picador

The Utopians: Six Attempts to Build the Perfect Society

In one line

Historical utopias dissected; idealism meets reality.

Goodreads 3.77

Condition: Like New

RM90.00 MYR RM64.00 MYR 29% off

56% off est. retail
Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life
Dacher Keltner | W. W. Norton & Company

Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

In one line

Compassion science for living a richer life

Goodreads 3.58

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

Tapestry of the Gods
Michael D. Robbins | University Of The Seven Rays Publishing House

Tapestry of the Gods

In one line

Unveils cosmic design through esoteric philosophy.

Goodreads 4.63

Condition: Well Read

RM56.00 MYR RM38.00 MYR 32% off

Hiding in the Mirror: The Mysterious Allure of Extra Dimensions, from Plato to String Theory and Beyond
Lawrence M. Krauss | Viking Adult

Hiding in the Mirror: The Mysterious Allure of Extra Dimensions, from Plato to String Theory and Beyond

In one line

For minds drawn to unseen cosmic possibilities

Goodreads 3.68

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR RM41.00 MYR 23% off

53% off est. retail
We-Think
Charles Leadbeater | Profile Books

We-Think

In one line

Collaborative innovation reshaping society's dynamics.

Goodreads 3.65

Condition: Very Good

RM64.00 MYR RM49.00 MYR 23% off

United in Flow: The Art of Living in Joy
feisal alibhai | 9789887946007

United in Flow: The Art of Living in Joy

In one line

Finding joy where personal growth meets togetherness

Goodreads 4.0

Condition: Like New

RM53.00 MYR

Perilous Power: The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy: Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice
Noam Chomsky, Gilbert Achcar | Hamish Hamilton

Perilous Power: The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy: Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice

In one line

Sharp dialogue on power, war, and justice

Goodreads 3.97

Condition: Very Good

RM45.00 MYR

69% off est. retail

Philosophy Books

Shop all

You might enjoy this if…

View book details