THE PROMISE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM is that anyone, regardless of his or her origins, can have a fair start in life.  If we work hard, we can get a good education, achieve success and live lives better than those of previous generations.  But over the last several decades a disturbing “opportunity gap” has unexpectedly grown between kids from have and have-not backgrounds.  The central tenet of the American Dream – that all children, regardless of their family and social background, should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life – is no longer “self-evident.”

Drawing on a formidable body of research undertaken especially for this book, Our Kids is a groundbreaking look at the new landscape of diminished opportunities set in an age of fragile families, crumbling communities, and disappearing jobs.  Written with authority and compassion, it is a signal contribution to the ongoing conversation about inequality in America.

– From the book cover