Who We Are Now

Know about the book -

Who We Are Now is written by Sam Roberts and published by Macmillan. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 0805075550 (ISBN 10) and 9780805075557 (ISBN 13).

Examing the 2000 U.S. Census, NY TImes reporter Roberts stitches patches of statistical information together with a narrative. He begins with this: the average American is a 35-year-old woman living in her own home in the metro West or South. In 1900, this statistical citizen was a 26-year-old man renting property in rural America. Roberts explains the importance of demographics, then devotes himself to such subjects as households, aging, transience, race, income, and education. Along the way, some data surprise: Only 52% of households contain a married couple. Two-thirds of black children are born out of wedlock. New York City hosts 26,402 people per square mile. One out of 32 adults is or has been in prison. Only 20% of college students fit what the author calls the "Joe College" model: a resident student in a four-year program. Other findings confirm common observation. Florida is the "oldest" state; our population is shifting to the Southwest; women and blacks earn less than white men in similar occupations. Some of the findings also have profound social implications. More than 10% of black men in their late 20s are in prison.