Our Patchwork Nation: The Surprising Truth About the "Real" America
By (Author) Dante Chinni
By (author) James Gimpel
Penguin Putnam Inc
Gotham Books
4th October 2011
United States
General
Non Fiction
Human geography
Political ideologies and movements
Regional / International studies
307.0973
Paperback
336
Width 152mm, Height 229mm, Spine 18mm
369g
A provocative counterargument to the blue/red divide that illuminates our country's multidimensional political spectrum. In a climate of culture wars and economic uncertainty, the media have often reduced America to a simplistic schism between red and blue states. In response to that oversimplification, journalist Dante Chinni teamed up with political geographer James Gimpel, using on-the-ground reporting and statistical analysis to get past generalizations and probe American communities in depth. Looking at the data, they recognized that the country breaks into twelve distinct types of communities, whose differences and specific concerns shed light on the subtle distinctions in how Americans vote, shop, and otherwise behave. Showcasing personal interviews, combined with facts and statistics, Our Patchwork Nation offers a brilliant new way to examine the issues that matter most to our communities, and to our nation.
"Brings a fascinating insight into what makes Americans different these days." The Miami Herald
Dante Chinni is the correspondent for the Patchwork nation project, a collaboration among The Christian Science Monitor, PBS News Hour, and PBS member stations. He lives in Washington, D.C. James Gimpel, Ph.D., is a professor of government at the University of Maryland, College Park.