This book uniquely explores the rare event of poor people who become nationally or internationally famous. This book describe how poverty is a severe disability that stunts areas of growth and opportunity among children. Nevertheless, using a sample of 27 people including Charlie Chaplin, Billie Holiday, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Pryor, Babe Ruth, Oprah Winfrey, and Malcolm X, the book shows how these figures both coped, but faced life-long challenges as a result of their backgrounds.