Our Towns

by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows
Our Towns cover
Good Books rating 4.5
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  • ID: 3874
  • Added: 2025-10-20
  • Updated: 2025-10-20
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
commonsensemedia.org · Unknown · 2022-04-17
inspiring 4.50

Our Towns is a hopeful and inspiring look at how communities across America are coming together to rebuild and revitalize. The book highlights the power of local initiatives and the importance of civic engagement in creating positive change.

Our Towns offers a refreshing perspective on the state of America by focusing on the positive stories of communities that are thriving despite national challenges. The authors emphasize the role of local leaders, businesses, and individuals in driving change and creating a sense of belonging. They argue that by investing in local infrastructure, education, and community projects, towns can become more resilient and vibrant. The book is a call to action for readers to get involved in their own communities and to recognize the potential for transformation that exists in every town.

Quick quotes

    The book is a testament to the power of community and the resilience of the American spirit.

    It's a reminder that change starts at the local level and that everyone has a role to play.

    Our Towns is a beacon of hope in a time of division and uncertainty.

ejournalofpublicaffairs.org · Unknown · 2019-12-18
hopeful 4.50

Our Towns by James and Deborah Fallows is an ambitious and exhaustively reported book that explores the revitalization of small towns across America. The authors found that innovative schools, public-private partnerships, and thriving downtowns, along with dedicated individuals, are key to a town's success. While the book is brimming with inspiring stories, it occasionally feels repetitive.

Our Towns by James and Deborah Fallows is a deeply reported and well-written book that offers a hopeful perspective on the state of small towns in America. The authors spent over four years traveling across the country, visiting nearly 30 communities that have found ways to thrive despite economic and social challenges. They identified several key factors that contribute to a town's success, including innovative schools, true public-private partnerships, and real, thriving downtowns. However, the most important factor they found was the presence of dedicated individuals who drive these communities forward. The book is filled with inspiring stories of civic-minded business leaders, charismatic educators, and politicians who are working to revitalize their towns. While the book is brimming with real-life solutions and well-informed themes, the sheer number of similar stories can sometimes make it feel repetitive. Overall, Our Towns is a must-read for anyone who cares about the life of American communities and is looking for a road map to success for cities searching for direction.

Quick quotes

    The more quickly this question was answered, the better shape a town was in.

    The real action is happening at the state and local levels, where communities are taking charge of their directions.

    Superbly reported, cleanly and briskly written, brimming with real-life solutions, this is a book for anyone who cares about the life of American communities.

wsj.com · Unknown · 2018-07-25
inspiring 4.50

The book 'Our Towns' offers a hopeful and human-centered perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing America's communities. It highlights the resilience and creativity of local leaders and residents in revitalizing their towns, providing a refreshing counterpoint to the often-dismal narratives about rural America.

Our Towns' is a compelling exploration of the forces shaping America's communities, focusing on the human dimension of these changes. The book challenges the prevailing narratives of decline and despair in rural America, instead highlighting stories of resilience, innovation, and community engagement. The authors emphasize the importance of local leadership, civic participation, and grassroots initiatives in driving positive change. They argue that while national politics often dominate the headlines, it is at the local level where the most meaningful and impactful work is being done. The book is filled with inspiring examples of towns that have successfully revitalized themselves through collaboration, creativity, and a strong sense of community. It also provides a hopeful vision for the future, suggesting that by investing in local communities and empowering residents, we can create a more vibrant and equitable America. The book's emphasis on the human stories behind these transformations makes it a powerful and engaging read, offering a refreshing perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing our towns and cities.

Quick quotes

    The book challenges the prevailing narratives of decline and despair in rural America, instead highlighting stories of resilience, innovation, and community engagement.

    The authors emphasize the importance of local leadership, civic participation, and grassroots initiatives in driving positive change.

    The book is filled with inspiring examples of towns that have successfully revitalized themselves through collaboration, creativity, and a strong sense of community.

startribune.com · Unknown · 2018-05-11
inspiring 4.50

Our Towns by James and Deborah Fallows is a travelogue that offers a positive counterpoint to the national narrative of polarization and alienation. The book highlights the vibrant public culture and local patriotism found in various towns and cities across America, emphasizing the importance of community, public institutions, and pragmatic solutions to local challenges.

Our Towns by James and Deborah Fallows is a travelogue that chronicles the authors' 100,000-mile journey across America, visiting various towns and cities. The book offers a deliberate and thoughtful counterpoint to the national narrative of polarization and alienation, highlighting the vibrant public culture and local patriotism found in these communities. The authors focus on the positive aspects of these towns, describing how people identify, organize, and utilize their resources to serve the public good. They emphasize the importance of community, public institutions like schools and libraries, and the concept of 'local patriotism.' The narrative structure of the book is built around the authors' flights in a small plane, providing a unique perspective on the diverse geographic spaces of the nation. The book closes with a list of '10½ Signs of Civic Success,' highlighting the common patterns of success in community building. Overall, Our Towns is a hopeful and inspiring book that promises to open up conversations and foster connectivity among communities.

Quick quotes

    The point that comes back to us is the starkness of the contrast: on the one hand, the flattened terms — “angry,” “resentful,” “hopeless” — the language the media and politicians use to describe America in general; and on the other hand, the engaged, changing realities people understand about the places where they actually live.

    Community building, they argue, is not a recipe nor is it brought into being by doing certain things in a particular order. Community, the Fallows suggest, is a systems effect that people in particular places experience as the social, economic, educational, personal, and public dimensions of their lives come into closer alignment.

    There are a lot of more positive narratives out there — but they’re lonely and disconnected. It would make a difference to join them together, as a chorus that has a melody.

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