A unique, revelatory portrait of small-town America- the activities, changes, and events that shape this mostly unseen part of our national landscape, and the issues and concerns that matter to the ordinary Americans who make these towns their home.
JAMES FALLOWS has been a national correspondent for The Atlantic
for over thirty years, a former editor at U.S. News & World
Reports, and President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter.
DEBORAH FALLOWS is the author of Dreaming in Chinese- Mandarin
Lessons in Life, Language, and Love.
"James and Deborah Fallows have always moved to where history is
being made. . . . They have an excellent sense of where
world-shaping events are taking place at any moment--and a fervent
commitment to be there to see it happen. . . . In these cities, the
Fallows argue, citizen participants are coping with declining
industries, creating new civic cultures, assimilating waves of
immigration, and collaborating across party-lines to revive
everything from arts programs to tech seedbeds."--David Brooks, The
New York Times "A tonic of a book about the can-do America unready
to succumb to rot."--Roger Cohen, The New York Times "Reminiscent
of Charles Kuralt's On The Road with Charles Kuralt, this unique
look at the heart of America will bring hope and insight to
readers. Highly recommended."--David Miller, Library Journal "I've
been waiting for this book for years....Buy this book....This
country is more united than divided...and this book will prove
it."--Joe Scarborough, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC "Knowing the
Fallows and their work, I assumed this new co-authored book of
theirs would be typically savvy, sensitive, articulate and
prescient. What I didn't expect was how a record of experiences of
current middle American communities, through their lenses, would be
such a page turner! I've guessed for many years that real change in
this world would be effected by and within small
communities--places where people feel connected and capable of
impact on some larger scale. Our Towns is a monumental validation
of that hypothesis--with real stories and real people, who are
really getting things done. James & Deborah--thanks for your
journey, your open and honest observations, and helping to shine
light for us at the end of many tunnels." --David Allen, author of
Getting Things Done; the Art of Stress-Free Productivity "Our Towns
will become a classic, joining the ranks of American odysseys from
De Tocqueville to Dos Passos. The landscape unfurls beneath us; the
language of different regions echoes in our ears. Most important,
this book is a tonic for what ails us as a nation, a captivating
story of energy and renewal across the land." --Anne-Marie
Slaughter, President & CEO, New America "In the tradition of John
Steinbeck and Studs Terkel, the Fallows have crisscrossed the
country in search of the extraordinary strength and character of
ordinary people and places. What they've found--in towns we know
and others off the beaten path--should give us all great hope for
the future." --California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. "An
illuminating trip through 'parts of the country generally missed by
the media spotlight'....Writing with lively curiosity and open
minds, the couple have created textured portraits of 29 American
cities, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Allentown, Pennsylvania,
and Eastport, Maine, to Redlands, California.... A well-reported,
optimistic portrait of America's future." --Kirkus Reviews
"An eye-opening, keenly optimistic reminder of the strength of
America's vital center." --Publishers Weekly
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