Review: Bowling alone
Redaktioneller Bericht - Kirkus ReviewsA longer and much improved version of Putnam's controversial 1995 Journal of Democracy article of the same name, this is an important work that is likely to be the center of much debate. Books of sociological insight as readable and significant as David Reisman's Lonely Crowd and C. Wright Mills's Power Elite come along seldom. Putnam's work belongs in their company. This is partly because Putnam (Making Democracy Work, not reviewed) avoids the language of academic sociology and writes prose that most readers will find appealing. But, more importantly, Putnam's ideas have a weight and carry implications that will resonate with scholars and laymen alike. Putnam is concerned with "social capital" (i.e., the institutions, practices, behavior, and attitudes that create and sustain human communities). The evidence that he has amassed—from surveys of bowling leagues and book groups to data on religious and civic participation—shows without doubt that American social capital has recently fallen far, and that the bonds connecting Americans to one another have eroded sharply in the last half-century. For all the book's likely impact, however, Putnam is stronger at discovering reality than explaining it. He doesn't tell us why he and other social thinkers believe that being connected is better than going it alone. He also fails to explore the possibility that the causes of social disconnectedness lie as much in changing personal cultural attitudes (the subject of social psychology) as in external practices and institutions (the stuff of sociology). And Putnam's inspiring and brave call for renewed civic inventiveness, while appealing, can be no substitute for solid ideas as to what social policies should be enacted and what individuals might do to recreate social capital. Nevertheless, all those who were previously skeptical of Putnam's claims will now have to confront the overwhelming force of this exhaustive and carefully argued study. A major work of social research.
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Kaye Sivori - GoodreadsThis book was amazing and the breadth of information is astounding, from graphs and statistics of the number of people taking Sunday picnics to the number of people who vote.... The writing was ... Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Mike - GoodreadsSocial capital is an important topic for anyone interested in building better groups of people, from families to nations. Putnam's masterpiece explains the topic thoroughly, supported by data and ... Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Eddy Allen - GoodreadsDrawing on vast new data that reveal Americans' changing behavior, Putnam shows how we have become increasingly disconnected from one another and how social structures--whether they be PTA, church, or ... Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Derek Christensen - GoodreadsThe first 200 pages were slow and somewhat dull. The last 200 pages pulled it all together and talked about next steps. I like the new perspective I have on some things, especially social capital. Slow read, but good. Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Mikell Wilcox - GoodreadsI guess if I'm going to give any book one star, it should be this one. It took me three years to motivate myself to read it. Maybe three months to finish it. And it's not that the author's horrible; I ... Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Vera Hailey - GoodreadsDidn't finish. Over my head. Too many statistics. Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - James - GoodreadsA long slog, but worth it. Putnman's book is packed with data that chronicles the decline community in the United States. He makes clear that religious and secular organizations have suffered similar ... Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Rebecca - GoodreadsLegit topic, though it suffices to read the last paragraph of every chapter to gather an understanding of Putnam's theses. Vollständige Rezension lesen
Review: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Nutzerbericht - Gail - GoodreadsOK - skimmed this more than read it. Surprisingly good at explicating complicated statistics, but in the end it suffered from just being too.. old! A lot of the conclusions the author was reaching ... Vollständige Rezension lesen
