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Our Towns by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows
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Our Towns

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Our Towns by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows
Paperback $16.95
Feb 05, 2019 | ISBN 9780525432449

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    Feb 05, 2019 | ISBN 9780525432449

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  • May 08, 2018 | ISBN 9781101871850

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  • May 08, 2018 | ISBN 9780525639176

    942 Minutes

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Praise

“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

“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.

“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 

“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

Table Of Contents

Authors’ Note 

Introduction: 2017: A Last Trip West 

2013
Sioux Falls, South Dakota 
Rapid City, South Dakota 
Holland, Michigan 
Burlington, Vermont 
Eastport, Maine 

2014
Greenville, South Carolina 
St. Marys, Georgia 
Columbus, Mississippi 
Caddo Lake, Louisiana-Texas 
In the Air 
Columbus, Ohio 
Louisville, Kentucky 
Allentown, Pennsylvania 
In the Air 
Duluth, Minnesota 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 
Charleston, West Virginia 

2015
In the Air 
Guymon, Oklahoma 
Ajo, Arizona 
San Bernardino, California 
Riverside, California 
Redlands, California 
Fresno, California 
Winters, California 
Bend, Oregon 
Redmond and Prineville, Oregon 
Chester, Montana 
The American Prairie Reserve, Montana 

2016
Dodge City, Kansas 
Garden City and Spearville, Kansas 
Erie, Pennsylvania 

What We Saw and What We Learned 
10½ Signs of Civic Success 

Afterword
 
Acknowledgments 

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