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What are readers saying about Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community?
| Reviews of Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community - Page 1 of 2 |
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-08 05:23:16.
(Language: English)
  
I'd probably like the book better if I read it for a class. Putnam has a point, but I'm not sure that it can be reversed.. though the election a few days ago could be a good impetus...
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-06 01:22:13.
(Language: English)
This book holds some of the clues about our social changes that moves through every aspect of contemporary life. Good book, this will become a classic for Universities in the line of Tochville.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-23 10:50:10.
(Language: English)
This is required reading for Officers in 501(c) orgs. I highly recommend as first in a series. A must read if you are involved in Volunteer Organizations.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-06-13 11:36:57.
(Language: English)
Another better than expected book. At nearly 500 pages I was expecting a mind-numbing slog, but it was very readable and entertaining. Not enough on vertical social capital or on the dangers of some forms of hozizontal social capital, but I got a lot of good ideas from Putnam.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-12 07:43:23.
(Language: English)
Many many manyyyyyyyyy Years after College. It Makes sooooo Much sense!! MUST READ!! I had to read this book in College however I didn't really appreciate it until now. This book takes you back to how people really enjoyed the simplest things in life. There were people who were on a bowling team and met up every friday night. There were real communities where your neighbors helped you out if you had a flat tire or how a village really did raise a child. This is a bookshelf book. You'll love the authors Social Economic views and a lot of it hitting home
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-16 12:41:50.
(Language: English)
There's a lot of food for thought in this book. It was recommended by my brother, and we've both changed some of our recreational habits after reading this.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-07-04 07:14:59.
(Language: English)
Neat title. Didn't hold my attention.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-16 05:01:56.
(Language: English)
Meget spændende tanker om hvorfor vores samfunds kontrol på godt og ondt forsvinder, med lidt god vilje kan man se at der er en forbindelse til Vangede Billeder af Dan Turell. Bogen giver en god forklaring på hvorfor nogen ting går galt i vores verden stille og roligt. mens vi plejer friværdien.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-10-09 03:42:30.
(Language: English)
An astonishing book both from the research and results standpoints.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-08-18 06:21:19.
(Language: English)
telling comentary on the breakdown of social structure. written in 2000 however, i wonder what Putnam would think of facebook!
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-21 04:47:14.
(Language: English)
This book really made me change the way I think about American society and what we consider progress and convenience.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-15 03:20:21.
(Language: English)
Now seemed a good time to reread this gem.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-04-03 07:34:48.
(Language: English)
Way to much resurch information given.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-10 11:50:07.
(Language: English)
I read this book because so many other books reference it. What he says is important and he makes his case convincingly. None of it really comes as a surprise though, either because he's so right it's obvious or maybe because I've read those other books. Anyway, this is an important book but really not much of a fun book. He makes his point over, and over, and overandoverandover...which is probably a good thing if you're an academic trying to build a strong case, but not so good from the reading perspective. I have to say I was expecting something more along the lines of The Rise of the Creative Class or The Rebel Sell (which...this book partially inspired. I guess you need the academics to lead the way with all the line graphs and stuff before you can dilute it into the kind of edutainment us TV generation kids are reading so we can feel better about ourselves.) best quote - "Citizenship is not a spectator sport."
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-07-23 07:02:39.
(Language: English)
Bowling Alone studies the disintegration of American community and its consequences. The first and largest section deals with documenting this collapse. This section is full of interesting statistics, but is not the most important part of the book. I believe very few people would doubt that as a society we are becoming more disconnected from one another.The second section speculates as to what is causing this change for the worse, bringing up such factors as longer hours at work, urban sprawl and the negative effects of mass media, particularly television. One factor Putnam discusses, generational change, may be more of a symptom than a cause of the collapse of community. Understanding what has caused the loss of community in America is possibly the most difficult aspect of the book. None the less, I wish it could have been expanded.The third section deals with the consequences, from the more obvious effects on neighborhoods and schools, to our economic prosperity and individual health and happiness. The effect of a loss of community on our democracy is also documented. The increased use of professional campaign staff to replace volunteers and the need for corporate and other special interest money to maintain this form of "democracy" is a profound danger. This section is the most chilling part of the book and is the most important reason to read Bowling Alone.The fourth section deals with remedies for our predicament. The strongest part of this section is the comparison between our turn of the century and the previous one where we went from the Gilded Age to the Progressive Era. In this section and the end of the previous one, some negative forms of community are discussed. These are institutions that are exclusive in nature and have negatively contributed to people's images of what it means to be a "joiner." Putnam effectively distinguishes between the type of community organization whose effect is positive and these others.Bowling Alone is a somewhat scholarly work and not pure entertainment. But it is important and enlightening and will hopefully contribute to the revival of American community that it seeks.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-08 09:08:10.
(Language: English)
Finished it...pretty good book to get you thinking about society detachment and isolation. Its a little repeatative, but a good read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-02 01:05:29.
(Language: English)
Absolutely fantastic! Everyone working in the social sciences, raising kids, or just wanting to make a difference in their family/neiborhood/community should read this book. Not preachy or political, this book documents the decline of social involvement by all Americans, and why it is important that this trend be reversed. It has certainly motivated me to get more involved, from simple things like taking my kids to the park more, to larger forms of participation, such as volunteering and forming more formal and informal social groups. The book overwhelms you with data, but that is simply a function of the strength of the author's case. Read, and more importantly, use this book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-18 08:27:47.
(Language: English)
Authentic, relevant community is something that is increasingly sought after by my generation (the 20-somethings, college and career group), but sometimes hard to find or even define. Bowling Alone is a fascinating commentary on community, relationships, social networking and the many ways that people connect with each other in America both past and present. It provides incredible arguments for the benefits of strong community to include trust, altruism, honesty, reciprocity, etc., but at the same time frames the discussion in such a way that you don't feel like you're listening to grandpa tell long tales of the "good ole' days." Putnam does a great job of providing motivation for generations to come on what is possible when effort and intentionality is given to forming strong social connections; a message severely needed in the age of isolation.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-03-09 07:02:16.
(Language: English)
An excellent look at the gradual "disconnected-ness" our society has experienced since the 60's -- not just that it's happening, but in-depth data that shows how and why. It's one of the main reasons I regard George W. Bush with such disdain. He had a chance at 9/11 to lead our country to a higher level of volunteerism and community focus. Instead, he just asked all of us to go shopping. Read this book and I believe you'll come to the same conclusion.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-11-07 06:02:16.
(Language: English)
Well written and so much research went into it. Probably would've liked it better if I was assigned to read it for a sociology class or something instead of recreational or leisure reading.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-22 07:06:34.
(Language: English)
The extra half star is for effort. WHen I first saw this book, I thought to myself "great! Now I don't have to write a book about my thoughts on society!" Putnam's book is a look at how our scociety has lost it's major sense of community and the reasons why it has happened. The idea of this book is great, I just wasn't expecting a whole bunch of charts and graphs and more statistics than I cna handle - not to mention 3 appendices and 60 page of footnotes! IT was a hard read and I eventually got to a poitn that I couldn't take it anymore. Again - I love the idea that someone recognizes these things but it was way drawn out.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-08-15 05:04:47.
(Language: English)
Glad I'm finally reading this one!
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-24 08:07:03.
(Language: English)
While the book makes some interesting and valid points it lost me at about the halfway mark, where I had to admit that the density of interesting facts was too low to maintain my attention. Putnam's lament of a lost sense of community is accurate in many ways but disregards modern phenomena such as the internet. Sure, social networks have their critics too, but it's hard to deny that Facebook has made it easier to stay in touch with a large *diversity* of friends. Being exposed to a diverse population's opinions helps keep our minds open. The "American Community" that Putnam is talking about is primarily a small-town phenomenon. For better or worse it just isn't possible to achieve in a city. The cities are growing and the small towns are shrinking so loss of traditional community is inevitable. ...Enter the internet. :)
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-04 02:15:11.
(Language: English)
If you enjoy civic engagement, this book is the foundation in which all others build upon. It explores the decline of social capital in America, but includes an exhaustive amount of statistics that could make you sleepy. Regardless, Putnam will cause you to question your own involvement in the betterment of your community and American society.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-03-08 07:12:53.
(Language: English)
A 21st century primer on the importance and decay of physical social networks. Community renewal cannot be achieved without commitment to authentic engagement which is what this book addresses in such a masterful way. Although web 2.0 social networking like facebook is incredibly smart and efficient, I sometimes wonder if this level interfacing further corrodes real intimacy and authenticity. It is however, a powerful medium for activism.
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| Reviews of Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community - Page 1 of 2 |
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