How the Other Half Lives How the other half lives was a piece that was written by one of the world’s most influential writer in the 19th century, Jacob A. Riis. The book that was published in the year 1890 brought out the raw story of the plight of the people living in the slums in New York in writing and pictures. Other than the fact that the piece is one of the most moving ones that he ever wrote, it was also riding on the personal experience he had in the same slums. He had also had problems looking for work in the tenement and was working as a police reporter back in the year 1877.