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Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope

Nicholas D. Kristof (Goodreads Author),

Sheryl WuDunn (Goodreads Author)

4.31 · Rating details · 5,857 ratings · 1,017 reviews

With stark poignancy and political dispassion, Tightrope draws us deep into an "other America." The authors tell this story, in part, through the lives of some of the children with whom Kristof grew up, in rural Yamhill, Oregon, an area that prospered for much of the twentieth century but has been devastated in the last few decades as blue-collar jobs disappeared. About on ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published January 14th 2020 by Knopf Publishing Group

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Lists with This Book

Speaking for Myself by Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain by Kathy Barnette

Politics Published in Year: 2020

178 books — 10 voters

Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire by Rebecca Henderson

Economics Published in Year: 2020

17 books — 2 voters

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Jan 02, 2020 Book of the Month added it

Why I love it
by Dave Eggers

In a country that purports to root for the underdog, too often we exalt the rich and we punish the poor. This is an unflinching book that illustrates that central, confounding American paradox. With thorough reporting and extraordinary compassion, Kristof and WuDunn tell the stories of those who fall behind in the world’s wealthiest country. In the most vulnerable regions, they find not an efficient first-world safety net created by their government, but merely a patch ...more

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Feb 11, 2020 Lisa rated it really liked it

A comprehensive book covering many of the issues confronting Americans: homelessness, inequality, drug addiction, poverty, limited education and access to health care and more. Kristof and WuDunn write in an approachable, empathetic manner, personalizing these topics with stories.

One of the problems I have with some non-fiction books is they are sometimes padded magazine articles that are too repetitive. That was not a problem here! But it also didn't feel condensed. I like the authors point th ...more

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Jan 10, 2020 Camille rated it really liked it

When I saw this book on BOTM, I prepared to bore myself with a "textbook like" analysis of the state of America today. I was presently surprised at how personal the author made the book to his hometown and life, by delving into specific family members and friends. I found this to be a quick read, with well thought out scenarios and extensive research. ...more

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Jan 11, 2020 Ginger rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cultural-studies, botm

I’m a writer in the margins but I don’t think I have EVER written in the margins more than in this book—arguments, agreements, questions.

I picked this on a whim from BOTM, and I’m glad I did. I devoured it, despite its difficult subject matter. The authors are fantastic storytellers which helps underline and illustrate their points.

I disagree with the authors on a lot of their conclusions, but I found them balanced and thoughtful. They made neither victims nor villains of their subjects. There w I’m a writer in the margins but I don’t think I have EVER written in the margins more than in this book—arguments, agreements, questions.

I picked this on a whim from BOTM, and I’m glad I did. I devoured it, despite its difficult subject matter. The authors are fantastic storytellers which helps underline and illustrate their points.

I disagree with the authors on a lot of their conclusions, but I found them balanced and thoughtful. They made neither victims nor villains of their subjects. There were times when I quibbled with the logic and language (they often slipped into passive voice when contending that they insisted on personal responsibility or resorted to light ad hominem attacks, assigning motives without support and calling policy “mean-spirited” when it’s possible the other side just has a different perception of what’s best long term, at times painted motives with broad strokes, attributing choices to luck and vice versa, and occasionally conflated correlation with causation without support), but overall, they leaned heavily on the bipartisan three-pronged fact that people who finish high school, get a job, and marry before having children, in that order, have a literal 98% avoidance of poverty rate, along with all that entails.

They stress the government component of education yes, but refreshingly don’t ignore personal responsibility of work, and family responsibility of the roles of marriage, home, and children.

Many times proposed solutions lean too hard to one side—forgetting that government does have a role to play—or to the other—that people’s choices and families are key in preventing problems that stem from and accompany poverty. It’s both, together. Forget any one component and you’re still likely fighting a losing battle.

They offer plenty of solutions throughout the text, but one of the most useful parts of a Kristof/WuDunn book is they leave readers at the end with ten steps you can take to make a difference. Not every one will be applicable to every person, but I underlined about half that I can likely do (one time actions like calling state representatives to petition for diversion programs for drug offenders, or repeat measures like volunteering at some of the most high-impact initiatives). I also appreciated that the vast majority of the suggestions did not involve the government. As a conservative, I want government doing less, and individuals doing more, especially at the local level. Systems are made up of people, after all. Government can’t best fix what government didn’t break.

But in a partisan era, we need each other. The authors quote Ray Dalio saying, “The problem is that capitalists typically don’t know how to divide the pie well and socialists typically don’t know how to grow it well.”

I want to hand this to every pastor, teacher, neighbor, veteran, doctor, politician, law enforcement officer, economist, parent I know. My heart was moved, but just as importantly, my mind was moved.

[This really does do a fantastic job of being bipartisan, but it does lean left, championing causes that are typically partisan in the US—universal heath care, a child allowance, sex education in schools. For another take on a middle ground work that leans slightly right, try Rod Dreher’s Crunchy Cons. Both these works together do much to inform what initiatives we can easily come together on.] ...more

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Jul 18, 2020 Roy Lotz rated it really liked it

Shelves: art-of-compromise, americana

Something is wrong with America’s tax structure when the working poor pay taxes so the federal government can make a payment to an e-commerce giant owned by the world’s richest man.

This book was timely when it was released, and it has only grown timelier since the pandemic struck. Normally, Americans are typified by high levels of patriotism and pride in our country—the unshakeable conviction that we are the greatest. (Indeed, as the authors note, while Americans students are not especially ...more

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Jan 28, 2020 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-highly-recommend, sociology-anthropology-ethics, favorites, politics-economics, philanthropy

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. If ever you wanted an upgrade in your ability empathize, and understand your fellow humans, or insight into how to be of better help, particularly in the United States, please read this book, and if you've never thought you needed either of these things, perhaps it is more crucial that you read it. I truly hope this wakes many Americans up to how we can better care for one another. Grateful this was written. ...more

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Jan 28, 2020 JEN A rated it really liked it

This book was extremely eye-opening. It gave me a lot to think about with regards to poverty, drugs, obesity, etc in America. I would highly recommend that everybody read this book before the next election.

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Mar 05, 2020 Yun rated it it was ok

Shelves: dnf

DNF - Not learning anything new from this book. The writing feels superficial. I wanted in-depth look at each of these people, but instead we just get a paragraph or two, followed by an info dump of facts and are then told what to think, which isn't my preferred style for this type of subject. I want showing, not telling. And a great book should lead me on a journey to figure out what it wants me to learn, not just straight up tell me how I should think and feel. ...more

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Aug 13, 2020 Lorna rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, social-history

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn was the most sobering and depressing account of where this country is today and why. Nicholas Kristoff went back to the farming community of Yamhill, Oregon to follow up with all of the children on the Route Number 6 School Bus that he had grown up with. These were the children with whom Nicholas Kristof rode to and from school each day on the Number 6 bus, his friends. What he found was harrowing, depressing and disco ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Cheryl S (book_boss_12) rated it did not like it

This book landed itself in my DNF pile at page 81 at halfway down the page. I do not feel this book is about Americans reaching for hope at all. This book is written by 2 authors who are wanting the US government to coddle and hand out hope to those less fortunate.

Possible indirect spoilers.....

I overlooked the sly remarks blaming President Trump. Co-Authors were discussing and placing blame of the demise starting in the 60s and 70s. It is ok to not like Trump and this did not affect my rating ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 Jenny (Reading Envy) marked it as to-read

I'm not sure I'll read this, so this is not a review but a comment... it looks like Kristof focuses on Yamhill, Oregon, which is where my Dad grew up, but he was 15 years older than Nicholas. 15ish. In my Dad's generation, he wouldn't go to high school reunions because most of his classmates died in Vietnam, so, you know, maybe being poor isn't the worst thing.

My entire family is from Yamhill County, and my college degree is from a liberal arts school in Yamhill County... I believe my Dad's canc ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 Jamie rated it really liked it

Shelves: societies

How do you successfully raise children in these troubled times? A stable home environment seems to be a major factor, increasing the likelihood that they will graduate from high school, avoid drugs, stay employed, and keep out of trouble with the law. Children who grow up in chaotic homes with drug and alcohol abuse, violence, and single parents who have trouble keeping jobs have vastly increased chances of ending up on a downward spiral of poverty, drugs, unemployment, and prison.

This book look ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Gale rated it it was amazing

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” - Heather Heyer, 2017

Pay attention, America. That’s what this book is telling us. I may not agree with Kristof and WuDunn’s politics and recommendations at times, but that does not change the fact that they have laid out harsh and painful truths in this book. It is not a perfect book, and some people may be turned off by the authors’ obvious left-leaning biases. Why the 5 stars? Because this is NECESSARY. I feel privileged to have the chan “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” - Heather Heyer, 2017

Pay attention, America. That’s what this book is telling us. I may not agree with Kristof and WuDunn’s politics and recommendations at times, but that does not change the fact that they have laid out harsh and painful truths in this book. It is not a perfect book, and some people may be turned off by the authors’ obvious left-leaning biases. Why the 5 stars? Because this is NECESSARY. I feel privileged to have the chance to read it.

It talks about topics that we typically shy away from - poverty, drug addiction, healthcare, lack of quality education, mass incarceration, the erosion of our society as a whole, and our failure as a nation through a history of poor policy making that has been continually anti-poor and anti-working class. They further argue that yes, personal responsibility is a factor in an individual’s outcomes in life, but that our failure to be empathetic, to see beyond invidual choices, and acknowledge that we as a society is also partly responsible for a person’s future, further compounds social problems.

It is very painful to read about past and present policy failures and how it has trickled down to America’s poor, children in particular. It is painful to know that here in America, millions still do not have access to quality healthcare, mental health counseling, and basic quality education. It is even more painful to know that research continually shows that only the top 1% has truly benefited from the economic boom but the rest at the bottom 90% has continually done worse. And it seems like politicians, both from the left and right, have failed to listen and keep up with the times. The book calls for drastic action if we are to remain the superpower that we claim to be.

Regardless of your political views, every American should be involved in the conversation about how we can improve the quality of life in this country, invest more in human capital, and create fair opportunities for everyone. At the end of the day, issues like jobs creation, access to quality healthcare, quality education, and drug policies will affect all of us in some way.

This is required reading for every American as far as I am concerned - lawmakers, mentors, educators, businessmen, students, and ordinary people like me who care. Kudos to Kristof and WuDunn for such engaging writing in terms that are easy to understand. ...more

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Feb 04, 2020 Jessica Jeffers rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, audio

This hits the nail absolutely on the head.

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Feb 17, 2020 Holly Allen rated it did not like it

This was a huge disappointment. The book focuses on poverty and inequality and the lack of access to education, healthcare, and other resources in America that are often found free and accessible in other first world countries. The problem is two fold- One is that the book tries too hard to appear moderate or else slightly liberal which means much of the discussion about capitalism and classism is shallow at best. Two is that much of the word choice is so poor it often simply comes off as offens This was a huge disappointment. The book focuses on poverty and inequality and the lack of access to education, healthcare, and other resources in America that are often found free and accessible in other first world countries. The problem is two fold- One is that the book tries too hard to appear moderate or else slightly liberal which means much of the discussion about capitalism and classism is shallow at best. Two is that much of the word choice is so poor it often simply comes off as offensive or else thoughtless and unpolished. The book quotes people like Woodie Guthrie and James Baldwin for flair without acknowledging their communist or anti-capitalist leanings. In fact, the book does nothing to critique capitalism, simply suggesting taxes be directed toward programs but not critiquing too deeply the economic system that so clearly continues much of the suffering the book aims to tear down. The book in one sentence says that America’s problems have inspired/ brought about support of “extreme” sides like Trump and Bernie Sanders. The book just casually drops this in and while it makes an effort later in to explain how/why Trump and his policies are extreme, it does nothing to explain why Sanders is mentioned not why is an apparent opposite end of the spectrum. This is either ignorance or a weak attempt at appearing centrist but those that read a lot of political theory will know that on a worldwide scale, Sanders doesn’t even register on the far left side of the spectrum. The book also continues the incorrect but often used idea that “America is a democracy” despite the fact that America is a republic and not a pure democracy. These errors built up and annoyed the hell out of me- if you’re well read on political theory it may bother you too. As for word choice- this book uses offensive and outdated terms like “g*psy” and “obese” despite modern Romani activists and fat lib activists making it clear since 10 years back that those terms are associated with discrimination. The book has many other word choice issues beyond these and even, at times, placed commas haphazardly. I had so much hope for this book but it came off as pandering to centrists with no regard for political accuracy or deep investigation. What a disappointment. ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Erin Cataldi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-of-the-month, 2020

This book should be required reading. It's insightful, depressing, yet still ultimately hopeful. Pulitzer Prize winning couple write a gut wrenching account of how America has ultimately failed it's people in the last half century through the lens of author Nicholas D. Kristof's hometown, Yamhill and a few other US locations. From a broken education, prison, health system and more; the authors explain how the system used to be, how it is now, and what can be done to fix it to bring the United St ...more

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Jan 06, 2020 Kacie rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-own-a-copy, book-of-the-month-club

I chose Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope as one of my January 2020 Book of the Month selections. There were no advance reviews for me to read, but the synopsis sounded promising.

Tightrope is an important book for our times. It is thoroughly-researched and compassionately written.

The authors interview people in an attempt to put a face on problems stemming from poverty, including drug addiction, unemployment, poor health, lack of education, abuse. Problems are multi-generational, with each ...more

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Feb 07, 2020 Jiny S rated it it was amazing

This book is incredibly well researched. The author touches upon many societal issues that are plaguing modern day America, including but not exclusive to 1) the lack of family planning that contributes to unplanned pregnancies that inevitably led to broken careers and child poverty, 2) the systematic way pharmaceutical companies conduce medical professionals to prescribe massive amount of pain medications that turn normal hardworking people to addicts, and 3) the expensive medical, legal, and a ...more

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Feb 04, 2020 Katy Schneberger rated it it was ok

It’s difficult to tackle the heart wrenching topics introduced in this book and I applaud the authors for shedding insight on them but this was an extremely painful read for me. There were many points throughout that I felt I was reading a middle schooler’s research paper filled with irrelevant quotes and random studies that did not support the argument the writers were trying to make. There were countless over generalizations and was overall extremely unorganized. I agree with many of their arg ...more

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Jan 17, 2020 Joan Fung-Tomc rated it did not like it

Political & 1-sided....thereby hindering honest, open dialogue as a country to find solutions for bettering America's challenges. ...more

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Oct 08, 2020 Robyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, 2020, really-great-book, political

I wasn't sure what this book was going to be, but having worked with society in one form or the other for over 40 years, I wanted to see if what I thought about many issues I saw were factual. Much of the information in this book is devastatingly sad, nobody wants to hear that the country they love is not as great as you want to believe. But I have no doubt that education is what is going to separate those that will succeed from those who will not... but I am heartbroken that our country is 61st ...more

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Mar 11, 2020 Nancy rated it it was amazing

I am a long-time reader of Nicholas Kristof's articles in the New York Times and I have read Half the Sky by Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. I was interested in their newest book Tightrope. A few weeks ago while waiting for a talk at a local library, I picked up Tightrope from the new books shelf and started reading. The next day, I went out to a local bookstore and bought the book.

Yet those kids ended up riding into a cataclysm, as working-class communities disintegrated across America, fel I am a long-time reader of Nicholas Kristof's articles in the New York Times and I have read Half the Sky by Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. I was interested in their newest book Tightrope. A few weeks ago while waiting for a talk at a local library, I picked up Tightrope from the new books shelf and started reading. The next day, I went out to a local bookstore and bought the book.

Yet those kids ended up riding into a cataclysm, as working-class communities disintegrated across America, felled by lost jobs, broken families and despair.~ from Tightrope by Kristof and WuDunn

Tightrope is a deeply personal book; Kristof writes about the kids who were on the bus he took to school, people who were his neighbors and friends, and what became of them. One of out four died from drugs, suicide, alcohol, recklessness, drugs, and obesity. One is homeless and one is in prison for life. And yet Kristof left that bus and became a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Their stories become the vehicle to ask the hard questions about what has happened in America.

What went wrong? What goes right for the kids who end up successful? Who, or what, is to blame? And most importantly, what can we do prevent people from falling off the narrow tightrope?

After breaking my heart, and reading the lofty goals that could change the lives of Americans, I was pleased the Appendix shared "10 Steps You Can Take in the Next Ten Minutes to Make a Difference." Political and social change takes time. But these steps are within our personal control.

We have blamed the poor for their poverty, criminalized addiction, threw troubled kids out of school, allowed health care and sound education to become an option only for the wealthy, watched children grow up with food insecurity, and punished people rather than give them the tools to be contributing members of society.

Americans need to change their minds and their policies. Kristof and WuDunn share success stories of successful local programs that have changed lives and which could be adopted on a larger scale.

"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps," after all, originally meant "do the impossible."

Some of us were lucky with parents who offered a firm foundation, teachers who took an interest and encouraged us; some of us had opportunities for education, vocational training, or qualified for the military. When a child has none of these advantages--no boots with straps to pull--their chances of success are slim.

Americans need to shrug off the paradigm of blame.

The paramount lesson of our exploration was the need to fix the escalators and create more of them to spread opportunity, restore people's dignity and spark their ingenuity.~from Tightrope by Kristof and WuDunn ...more

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Jan 23, 2020 Mehrsa rated it it was amazing

I think we can make a whole library now of books about "forgotten Americans" in the "heartland." This one is better than most because it is cross-racial and they actually do both stories and stats well. The only issue I had with it was that it felt like it was trying to convince the right that poverty was not a result of bad decisions. If you already do not think that, these arguments seemed really patronizing to the people. The solutions sections was also not great in my opinion--they just put ...more

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Mar 05, 2020 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it really liked it

Shelves: poverty, problems-ideas, work, justice, nonfiction

Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof take a look at America's problems today with jobs that don't pay well, drug difficulties, the lack of a safety net, and poverty, and they start in their own backyard, looking at people they know personally.

It's a careful look at the promise these people had as children and how these people fell off the tightrope that is today's America.

And then they do more---they look at places that offer solutions to these problems, and they offer these up to us.

Let's ho ...more

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Jul 07, 2020 Brittany rated it really liked it

Shelves: z2020-challenge, biographical, 4-stars, road-trip-wheel, contemporary, non-fiction

Tightrope has many powerful moments and statements. Jennifer Garner as a narrator was simply fabulous for me. I feel like she was able to show her passion for the content.

This book feels incredibly relevant now and before in the American society and the deep-seated issues that have needed to be resolved for a long time.

It was definitely worth the read and I want to buy a physical copy to share specific passages more adequately with others.

4-4.5 stars for me

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Apr 27, 2020 Ruhi Pudipeddi rated it really liked it

ok so first of all i have to say this book contains exceptional reporting. despite an optimistic subtitle, most of the book’s narratives have a grim arc, which makes it a somewhat demoralizing but compelling read about an america i always knew existed but doubt i’ll ever meet. the authors connect long and short stories + concepts seamlessly and i ended up highlighting so many different lines of elegant analysis. i must say at times, reading this book felt slightly voyeuristic, like fulfilling a ok so first of all i have to say this book contains exceptional reporting. despite an optimistic subtitle, most of the book’s narratives have a grim arc, which makes it a somewhat demoralizing but compelling read about an america i always knew existed but doubt i’ll ever meet. the authors connect long and short stories + concepts seamlessly and i ended up highlighting so many different lines of elegant analysis. i must say at times, reading this book felt slightly voyeuristic, like fulfilling a grotesque curiosity i was almost ashamed of — but not enough to offset its grip. overall, tldr i recommend!

couple things worth pointing out that made this not a 5 —

- discussions of gender sometimes receive an uneven proportion of pages for how central they are in certain sections; it’s weird that the authors noted the abuse of women throughout the book but still pointed out that working-class marriages save skidding men, almost like the trade-off was then passable? but the section on healthcare, for example, did devote a lot of appropriate attention to women, so the focus is just kind of imbalanced. another example — as for notes on how double-parent family structure can offset certain situations, that conclusion was countered by basically the rest of the evidence throughout the book.

- ultimately, and most importantly, i got the sense that this america is foreign and otherly, when in fact the divergence between the two classes is exactly what causes our antithetical fortune; the feeling that my future is so distanced from the people in these stories precisely drives the zero-sum game that manifests! so there's definitely a need for rhetoric that turns “them” into “us”.

the gist of this book is dispelling an "increasingly cruel narrative that the working-class struggle is all about bad choices, laziness and vices” and it for sure achieves that + definitely augmented my ability to empathize. i was sold on proposals that i wasn’t familiar w/ before reading, e.g. putting students on a vocational track in high school to meet economy needs & give education an increased sense of purpose, or granting 2.5k in bonds at birth that can be withdrawn only for education, retirement, and investment.

finally, my personal checklist enthusiasm aside, the two lists of tangible measures at the end (policy solutions + actions for the individual) deserve to be published each on their own — many thoughtful politics around what i thought i already knew !! ...more

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Aug 23, 2020 Eileen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: people, library

What hope? This book just made my anxiety and anger towards this stupid fucking country even worse.

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Feb 26, 2020 Mal Warwick rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

If you wonder what’s gone wrong in America and why our society is so deeply divided, you’ll find a lot of the answers in Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn‘s brilliant new book, Tightrope. You’ll also find a litany of possible solutions to the problems they expose. Tightrope could be the playbook for an activist Secretary of Health and Human Services in a progressive future administration. Like the couple’s earlier bestseller, Half the Sky, the book pairs deeply entrenched social problems with imagi ...more

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Apr 24, 2020 Caroline Yoo rated it it was ok

This book brings some very important topics to the table (inequality, the opioid crisis, mass incarceration, education, health disparities, affordable housing), but while reading I frequently found myself a bit distracted. I think part of it is that the authors will start to touch on something but don’t explore it in a way that feels like a comprehensive discussion has been completed. Additionally, they sometimes cite facts that seem vague and don’t bring real substance to their arguments. There This book brings some very important topics to the table (inequality, the opioid crisis, mass incarceration, education, health disparities, affordable housing), but while reading I frequently found myself a bit distracted. I think part of it is that the authors will start to touch on something but don’t explore it in a way that feels like a comprehensive discussion has been completed. Additionally, they sometimes cite facts that seem vague and don’t bring real substance to their arguments. There is also some awkward wording throughout. At times it reads a bit like something written by an AP high school student.

“One study estimated that a safe injection site in a U.S. city would not only save lives but also some $3.5 million.”
What does this even mean? Save $3.5 million in healthcare costs? By reducing associated loss of productivity? By preventing incarceration? Over what kind of timeframe? I’m familiar with the conversations around needle exchange programs and making Narcan more widely available but had never heard of safe injection sites and was curious to know more.

On Stuart Varney and how he didn’t believe success was a product of luck:
“Varney is right that he worked hard, took risks and played by the rules (not counting spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a mistress […].”
Not that I endorse cheating, but what does an affair have to do with his views on success? It’s not relevant and detracts from the point they’re trying to make.

Another issue I had is that this book sometimes felt sneakily condescending or self-serving.

Here's a paragraph on one of Nick's (author) old neighbors and his ailing health:
"Increasingly, Clayton seemed to be following in Kevin's footsteps. He, too, grew a big beard and became so overweight that it was difficult for him to work. He crossed four hundred pounds, and doctors told him he was diabetic and had congestive heart failure with fluid rising in his lungs. He tried to get gastric bypass surgery but was told that he needed to improve his health first. We gave him a diet book, but he never managed to lose much weight."
Ok. So after talking about the multiple chronic health issues he had, you felt the need to add that you generously supplemented him with a DIET BOOK and lament about its ineffectiveness ??? This is comparable to ineligibility for a medical procedure when discussing solutions that didn't work? Keep in mind, this is after pages were spent describing the lack of access to education he and his siblings experienced. They gave him a book.

Overall, the authors do a good job introducing a lot of the issues plaguing working class America but don’t necessarily provide great in depth explanations on any particular topic. They include various quotes or statistics in an attempt to bolster their arguments but often don’t use them in a way that feels super compelling or novel to me. Still interesting and probably a good intro resource if you want to know a little about a lot of different issues but less valuable if you’re looking for more than that. I wish it was more refined and condensed. I honestly think it probably could have used more editing. I will say it was eye-opening for showing specifically the plights of poor white people (I'm realizing poor white people don't get any sympathy; they're often just categorized as "white" and arguably viewed differently from poor minorities). This book was ok, but I suspect you could find better written ones on similar topics. ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Michael rated it it was amazing

Shelves: politics, nonfiction, where-it-all-went-wrong

This is a powerful book about where America has gone way, way wrong. Before I forget, I have a bit of a syllabus going in regard to the good old US of As woes:

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America
Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
Janesville: An American Story

The books above are about working class white people completely imploding. For a tour of African-America's economic and social hellscape, try these thre ...more

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About Nicholas D. Kristof

Nicholas D. Kristof

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Nicholas Donabet Kristof is an American journalist, author, op-ed columnist, and a winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. He has written an op-ed column for The New York Times since November 2001 and is widely known for bringing to light human rights abuses in Asia and Africa, such as human trafficking and the Darfur conflict. He has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to 150 countries ...more

Books by Nicholas D. Kristof

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity

China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power

Thunder from the East: Portrait of a Rising Asia

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Interview with Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

The fact that you have American generals sitting around Afghanistan one moment talking about air strikes and the next moment talking about how to...

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“As a society, we denounce "delinquents," "hoodlums" and "hooligans," but the truth is that we routinely fail troubled kids before they fail us. More children die each year in the United States from abuse and neglect than from cancer. For every child who dies, thousands are injured, raped or brutally abused. We shrug as millions of children undergo trauma in ways that harm them and unravel our social fabric--and then we blame the kids when things go wrong.” — 3 likes

“Astonishingly, the share of students who don't get education in contraceptives is going up, not down. The Trump administration even tried to cut off funding for a teen pregnancy prevention program (lawsuits forced it to continue that funding). What's confounding is that these same officials are often anti-abortion, yet they don't seem to understand that preventing unplanned pregnancies will reduce abortions. They believe that condoms will promote promiscuity, when condoms no more cause sex than umbrellas cause rain. These same officials then thunder about the irresponsibility of girls who get pregnant, oblivious to their own irresponsibility.” — 3 likes

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Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope

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Trivia About Tightrope: Americ...

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See a Problem?

Preview — Tightrope by Nicholas D. Kristof

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Nicholas D. Kristof

Books by Nicholas D. Kristof

Related Articles

Trivia About Tightrope: Americ...

Quotes from Tightrope: Americ...

new topic
Discuss This Book