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Our Towns
A review of

Our Towns

A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America


Flying In

by David Meyer

Don’t fly over America’s small towns. Instead, fly in for a portrait of the current and likely future state of US cities.

Journalist James Fallows and linguistics expert Deborah Fallows, his wife and co-author, flew 100,000 miles in the course of four years, visiting 31 cities several times each to report on their economic and civic health and future prospects. The authors find that cities that differ in history, geography and opportunity are similar in their aspirations and economic development strategies. Like the best travelogues, this makes you want to visit places you never dreamed of exploring.

The authors’ overview of civic and economic determination will intrigue investors, entrepreneurs and armchair travelers, as well as anyone – especially in the tech sector – interested in the United States’ urban future.