Tightrope Americans Reaching for Hope

How can we rebuild America so that it is a land with opportunity for all, wherever we live, whatever our complexion? Tightrope outlines a better path for our nation, but first it takes us through an "other America" where wages are low and stagnant, decent jobs are scarce, racial inequity is stark, and Americans die of drug overdoses every seven minutes. Kristof and WuDunn tell the story of America's crisis partly through the lives of friends Kristof grew up with in rural Yamhill, Oregon, a working-class area that was hit badly by the disappearance of blue - collar jobs. Their powerful personal stories and those of others bring to life how we got into this mess and also show a path by which we can right ourselves as a country, redress racial inequity, reduce inequality, and build economic opportunity. Tightrope is a story of hope that is riveting, deeply personal, and impossible to ignore. Book jacket.