Only in America
Can a kid without a cent
Get a break and maybe
Grow up to be President
That however, was the 1960's, and things have changed. Putnam's book explains the "opportunity gap" that has developed in a clear and readable fashion. He uses his town of Port Clinton, Ohio as a microcosm of our country. He explains how in 1959, the young people strove to live lives better than their parents and grandparents before them. There was not as large a gap between the rich, middle class and the poor as we see today, and the young didn't feel imprisoned by their "class."
He explains how today the classes don't mix, and the poor have a difficult time climbing out of that life. Putnam interviews people who were raised in Port Clinton and went to high school with him in the late fifties. We hear their stories first hand and get a feel for their lives. His interviews comparing then and now, bring our problems into focus in a way charts and graphs (which are also included) never could. The statistics took my breath away. "Only 23% of lower class children start school already knowing the alphabet, vs 77% of the better educated classes." The poor and working class don't have the time to teach their toddlers or the money to send them to the schools that work with them on an individual basis.
I could write a three page review on this book, but instead I implore you to take the time to read it yourselves. See why it is important to level the playing field for our youth by somehow closing the gap that separates class in our country.
- Beverly
Publisher - Simon and Schuster
Date of Publication - March 10, 2015