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"One primary contribution of this book is its writing style--empirically strong, but delivered in accessible language--and a second is the demographic vantage point that the authors bring throughout. This is excellent work."--Jessica Schad, Associate Professor of Sociology, Utah State University

"Simultaneously comprehensive and concise, Tim Slack and Shannon M. Monnat's careful research challenges many of the most common misconceptions about rural people and places, showcasing the diversity of the rural spectrum. A vital resource for anyone interested in better understanding rural America and its relationship to the larger nation."--Jennifer Sherman, author of Dividing Paradise: Rural Inequality and the Diminishing American Dream
"Slack and Monnat present a fresh, insightful, and engaging overview of rural America. They weave a historical perspective into each chapter that deepens the reader's understanding, while offering a clear-eyed, up-to-date perspective on the complexity of rural people and places, helpful to longtime rural scholars as well as those first learning about rural America."--Mil Duncan, author of Worlds Apart: Poverty and Politics in Rural America
"Slack and Monnat, two leading scholars of rural America, bring the value of social scientific research to issues of rural and small-town social change. Presenting sociological concepts and empirical research in an accessible narrative, the authors help readers identify and overcome myths and misunderstandings concerning rural people and places. They provide lenses that focus attention on change, diversity, and complexity as demonstrated through empirical research. Taken together, their analyses open up many possibilities for advancing well-being in rural America and the nation as a whole."--John Green, Director, Southern Rural Development Center