Navigating the Rat Maze: A Guide to Surviving Poverty in Canada isn’t another polite report about “economic challenges.” It’s a gut-level walk-through of what it actually feels like to be broke in a rich country—told from the floor, not from a boardroom. Through lived experience and first-hand accounts, this book pulls back the curtain on the systems that are supposed to help but end up trapping people instead. It follows the grind of waiting rooms and hold music, the way one extra shift can cost you your benefits, the quiet humiliation of food bank lines, and the constant hustle it takes just to stay one step ahead of shutoff notices. Along the way, it shows how shame is used as a weapon, how paperwork becomes a cage, and how credit turns from lifeline to leash. But this isn’t just a story about harm—it’s about survival. *Navigating the Rat Maze* maps out the micro-joys, side hustles, and small acts of rebellion that keep people going: neighbours sharing bulk buys, parents swapping kids’ clothes, friends trading skills instead of money, and the stubborn decision to keep telling the truth about how bad things really are. If you’ve ever wondered why people can work hard and still fall behind—or if you’ve lived it yourself and want to see your reality finally named on the page—this book is for you.