"Planet of Slums" is a well-written book about an increasingly important set of issues. It might not be among Mike Davis's best work, but it is certainly worth reading. Slums are rapidly growing around major cities around the world (especially in developing countries) such that some places that were small towns a couple decades ago are now dominated by overpopulated and ecologically devastating slums. People living in slums are often next-to-homeless, and many of them are un- or under-employed. They also often lack access to clean water and food, adequate sanitation, and public transportation. The slum-dwellers are the "hidden" underclass, the reserve army of labor, often victims of "free trade" and neoliberalism, such as the policies related to the "structural adjustment programs" promoted by the World Bank and IMF.

This book is most likely intended for the layperson. Each chapter contains a moving and disturbing (yet entertainingly written) narrative. Nevertheless, this is not exactly a social scientific work. Davis seems to name-drop various international researchers and translated books about various places, and cites the occasional statistic from reputable sources, yet he seems to grab facts here and there to bolster his argument, when what might be more persuasive would be to focus in depth on a particular issue or region, or to focus on statistical arguments. He tries to do both simultaneously, and is not as successful as he could be at either. That said, the book is at least thought-provoking, and discusses many currently important issues and trends, and is worth reading for these reasons.