London, Jack (1876-1916) - A self-educated American adventure novelist who
was a sailor, a tramp, and a gold miner before he began his writing career.
His work had constant themes of survival and compassion for the underdog.
People of the Abyss (1903) - Describes the sociological effects of poverty
in London's East End and the "chronic condition of misery" the author
found there during a 1902 journey. It is a vivid example of London's
obsession with destitution which sprang from his own deprived childhood.
