Alienated America, Timothy P. Carney
Alienated America, Timothy P. Carney
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Alienated America
Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse

Author: Timothy P. Carney

Narrator: Charles Constant

Unabridged: 10 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 02/19/2019


Synopsis

Respected conservative journalist and commentator Timothy P. Carney continues the conversation begun with Hillbilly Elegy and the classic Bowling Alone in this hard-hitting analysis that identifies the true factor behind the decline of the American dream: it is not purely the result of economics as the left claims, but the collapse of the institutions that made us successful, including marriage, church, and civic life.During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump proclaimed, “the American dream is dead,” and this message resonated across the country.Why do so many people believe that the American dream is no longer within reach? Growing inequality, stubborn pockets of immobility, rising rates of deadly addiction, the increasing and troubling fact that where you start determines where you end up, heightening political strife—these are the disturbing realities threatening ordinary American lives today.The standard accounts pointed to economic problems among the working class, but the root was a cultural collapse: While the educated and wealthy elites still enjoy strong communities, most blue-collar Americans lack strong communities and institutions that bind them to their neighbors. And outside of the elites, the central American institution has been religion.That is, it’s not the factory closings that have torn us apart; it’s the church closings. The dissolution of our most cherished institutions—nuclear families, places of worship, civic organizations—has not only divided us, but eroded our sense of worth, belief in opportunity, and connection to one another.In Alienated America, Carney visits all corners of America, from the dim country bars of Southwestern Pennsylvania., to the bustling Mormon wards of Salt Lake City, and explains the most important data and research to demonstrate how the social connection is the great divide in America. He shows that Trump’s surprising victory was the most visible symptom of this deep-seated problem. In addition to his detailed exploration of how a range of societal changes have, in tandem, damaged us, Carney provides a framework that will lead us back out of a lonely, modern wilderness.

About Timothy P. Carney

Timothy P. Carney is a father of six children, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a columnist at the Washington Examiner. Tim and his wife, Katie, have raised their family in suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. Tim grew up with three older brothers in Greenwich Village and later in Pelham, New York. He is the author of Alienated America, The Big Ripoff, and Obamanomics. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Russell on March 22, 2019

I liked this book much more than I expected to, especially after noticing that Timothy Carney's books include the delightfully titled Obamanomics: How Barack Obama Is Bankrupting You and Enriching His Wall Street Friends, Corporate Lobbyists, and Union Bosses. But, with only a few unfortunate except......more

Goodreads review by Deb (Readerbuzz) on November 15, 2023

Let me start with a story. Back in 2001, I worked for the U.S. Census Bureau. Many people don't know that the Census Bureau does much more than simply count the number of people in the US every ten years. There are ongoing surveys that Americans are asked to participate in. During my years with the C......more

Goodreads review by Lynn on April 09, 2019

Conservative Commentator Speaks About White American Alienation I didn’t realize when I received this book that the author was a Conservative. I read the book but wasn’t swayed by his commentary. He states that the centralization of government and lack of community has caused the communities support......more

Goodreads review by Trey on March 26, 2019

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for a long time as Carney is someone who I greatly respect as a writer and political observer. The book met my high expectations. Carney, citing social scientists, economists and other commentators from all sides of the political spectrum, makes a compe......more

Goodreads review by Simone on June 24, 2019

So I put this on hold at the library without knowing much more about it than the title. And as someone interested in place and social captial I was interested. So I open up the audiobook, and then like 20 minutes in, I'm like: And I decide to read the full book description. Whoops. Didn't realize he......more