FromthebestsellingauthorofLosingGroundandTheBellCurve,thisstartlinglong-lensviewshowshowAmericaiscomingapartattheseamsthathistoricallyhavejoinedourclasses.
InComingApart,CharlesMurrayexplorestheformationofAmericanclassesthataredifferentinkindfromanythingwehaveeverknown,focusingonwhitesasawayofdrivinghomethefactthatthetrendshedescribesdonotbreakalonglinesofraceorethnicity.
Drawingonfivedecadesofstatisticsandresearch,ComingApartdemonstratesthatanewupperclassandanewlowerclasshavedivergedsofarincorebehaviorsandvaluesthattheybarelyrecognizetheirunderlyingAmericankinship—divergencethathasnothingtodowithincomeinequalityandthathasgrownduringgoodeconomictimesandbad.
ThetopandbottomofwhiteAmericaincreasinglyliveindifferentcultures,Murrayargues,withthepowerfulupperclasslivinginenclavessurroundedbytheirownkind,ignorantaboutlifeinmainstreamAmerica,andthelowerclasssufferingfromerosionsoffamilyandcommunitylifethatstrikeattheheartofthepursuitofhappiness.ThatdivergenceputsthesuccessoftheAmericanprojectatrisk.
TheevidenceinComingApartisaboutwhiteAmerica.ItsmessageisaboutallofAmerica.