"Hollowing Out the Middleis a fascinating study that brilliantly describes and analyzes the problems of rural towns in America that are emptying out. It will raise national awareness of a serious domestic problem that has largely escaped media, political, and scholarly attention." -William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University   "Hollowing Out the Middleis a rural panorama of heart-wrenching proportion." -Stephen G. Bloom, author ofPostville: A Clash of Cultures in HeartlandAmericaandThe Oxford Project"The undoing of Middle America is the great secret tragedy of our times. For shining a bright, unwavering light on the unfolding disaster, Patrick Carr and Maria Kefalas deserve enormous credit; for proposing solutions that actually have a chance of succeeding, they deserve the gratitude of frustrated midwesterners everywhere.

" -Thomas Frank, author ofWhat's the Matter with Kansas'andThe Wrecking Crew "InHollowing Out the Middlethe authors present a brave and daunting examination of why the most talented, the most productive young people leave our small towns and what can be done to stop this exodus. Those millions, like myself contributors to this Hollowing Out the Middle, who have flourished from the discipline, the warmth, the security, the high expectations, and the life experiences, devoutly wish these same small-town benefits for their children and grandchildren. This book is so generative, so fiercely compelling that I discovered that in my quiet moments, in my early morning wakeful periods, I became absorbed and engaged in the task of trying to solve the well-nigh unsolvable dilemmas presented here. I urge you to read this book." -Mildred Armstrong Kalish, author ofLittle Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm during the Great Depression   "With a massive 'youth exodus' from heartland America, small towns face extinction . Deft and detailed case studies bring the population to life. [and] the authors alert readers to this major change with clarity and compassion." -Publishers Weekly,starred review"[A]n impassioned .

manifesto from two advocates for small-town America." -Kirkus   "Reminiscent of the great sociological classics,MiddletownandElmtown's Youth, Pat Carr and Maria Kefalas have produced an exemplary account of coming of age in a midwestern town.  This book is required reading for the policy and research community and anyone thinking about issues facing young adults in America." -Frank Furstenberg, Zellerbach Family Chair of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, and author ofDestinies of the Disadvantaged: The Politics of Teenage Childbearin.