American Millstone: An Examination of the Nation's Permanent Underclass [Paperback]

Chicago Tribune (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This collection of 29 Tribune articles presents the current state of the underclass (poverty-trapped, primarily black ghetto dwellers) through background, statistics, and interviews, mostly in regard to Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood. Relentlessly bleak, the book portrays crime, family breakdown, unemployment, welfare, and the failure of education but ends with a challenging editorial for reform. Apparently unedited for this collection, the articles contain redundancies and unclear date references; the lack of notes or a bibliography will frustrate those wanting to explore further the many references to studies and related data. The moving accounts, however, make this a useful adjunct to such works as Ken Auletta's The Underclass ( LJ 5/1/82) and Richard Taub et al. Paths of Neighborhood Change ( LJ 11/1/84). Robert Aken, Univ. of Kentucky Lib., Lexington
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Contemporary Books (April 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809249316
• ISBN-13: 978-0809249312
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting and poignant look at chicago, September 8, 2009

By 

The Della Jones (Chicago, Il) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Millstone: An Examination of the Nation's Permanent Underclass (Paperback)

As an illinois resident the stories and images of the citizens within the book touched me deeply

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A. Millstone- great resource for secondary English teachers, September 1, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: American Millstone: An Examination of the Nation's Permanent Underclass (Paperback)

I picked up American Millstone on a bargain shelf at a local bookstore in Houston. I wrote to the Chicago Tribune for more copies but they had none. The chapters are an EXCELLENT source of short reading articles for a high school English class. I wish they would do a more up to date series as this book was written before the infamous "crack wave."