Sweating it Out explores poverty in the United States through the viewpoints and arguments of academic and political "experts," low-income adults from Louisiana, and the Bible and Christian theologians. Each group presents their theories on poverty, the groups affected by poverty, and how the problem of poverty should be addressed. In detailed chapters, Michael Landon presents each group's opinion on the causes of poverty, which include stress or mental illness, personal irresponsibility, social injustice, and family upbringing, among others. Sweating it Out is not only an investigation of poverty in America, but a resource for people of faith, academics, politicians, social workers, and low-income Americans on how to combat poverty.