American Dreams, American Nightmares

“An engaging book that should interest readers of the real estate and financial press as well as historians, social scientists, and others.”–Kenneth James Lipartito, coauthor of Corporate Responsibility: The American Experience

“Highly original and fascinating, Horowitz’s ambitious study not only provides an in-depth analysis of various kinds of homes and their inhabitants but also uses the home as a window into historical processes like the impact of the Great Recession and the rise of neoliberalism.”–Elaine Tyler May, author of Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era

“Horowitz takes readers through a deep dive into the history and culture of residential real estate in the United States… . This book offers a distinctive contribution to housing studies by combining the Great Recession with the COVID-19 housing crisis and situating them within a larger historical framework… . . The work provides an interdisciplinary investigation from cultural anthropology, history, sociology, economics, and political science.”–Journal of the American Planning Association

“Horowitz’s book provides an original contribution to the literature by navigating the cultural representations of home in different forms of media in a time of severe crisis. Its core strength lies in its ability to combine wide ra[n]ging empirical material into a coherent narrative by making use of an interdisciplinary approach. His lucid style renders the book a pleasant read, not only for experts in the field but also for a wider audience interested in the housing question in the contemporary United States and the failed promises of the American Dream.”–Contemporary Sociology

“Sharp and thoughtful … A good and provocative read… . Highly recommended.”–CHOICE

Daniel Horowitz is Mary Huggins Gamble Professor Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of American Studies at Smith College. He is the author of many books, including Entertaining Entrepreneurs: Reality TV’s “Shark Tank” and the American Dream in Uncertainty Times.