The book's title, "Hungry Ghosts," is explained by the author: "A neglected spirit. A spirit bent on revenge. Leave them alone, unsupported, unnurtured, and they will come back to haunt you with mischief and terrible paybacks." As viewed by the author, the "hungry ghosts" that come to her institution spring from brutalizing, unloving, and undisciplined families. She presents their experiences of physical and sexual abuse in their own words, along with efforts to find what their parents have not given them in worlds of sex, exploitation, violence, and gangs. She contrasts their familial deprivation with her own upbringing in a family of love, faith, and discipline. One chapter describes her own separation from her missionary parents in a concentration camp in China during World War II. Her management of the Camden County Youth Center applies the principles of her own upbringing. Appropriate behaviors in various situations in the center are clearly specified, and good behavior is rewarded. A firm, but sympathetic kindness reinforces the behaviors with praise and various rewards. Staff interactions with juveniles are respectful and caring. The staff wants the juveniles to succeed in developing attitudes and behaviors that will enable them to experience and express love while making a positive contribution through work and community service. Failure does not end the staff's love, but rather it becomes the foundation for rebuilding and trying again. For "hungry ghosts" who have not been loved and guided, the staff and fellow residents become the family that they need to become human.