Who We are Now - America by the Numbers at the Turn of the 21st Century (Paperback, New)

A revealing view of America and its people at the turn of the century, by the author of the New York Times Notable Book Who We Are

For more than two centuries, America has taken stock every decade, producing a statistical self-portrait of our population. In Who We Are Now, Sam Roberts identifies and illuminates the trends and social shifts that are changing the face of America today.

The 2000 U.S. census captured an America in the middle of a fundamental transformation. The nation’s complexion changed significantly over the twentieth century, creating more varied and intermingled identities; the trend was so profound that for the first time residents in 2000 could choose multiple race and ethnic categories on the census form. With the baby boomers nearing retirement and the echo generation entering college, the graying of America has been balanced, precariously, by the youth culture. And in the wake of the 1990s welfare reform, the fate of the working poor has become all the more tenuous. Roberts masterfully weaves stories of individuals from all corners of the country with the data, creating a compelling guided tour of the places, personalities, and politics that will shape twenty-first-century America.