"[P]resents an extremely interesting and important theoretical argument which speaks to many issues in political science and sociology... The book challenges conventional wisdom about the relations between empirical evidence and academic interpretations of that evidence..." --Jennifer Hochschild "In a careful and thorough manner, Vanneman and Cannon have reconsidered the perplexing question first posed in 1906 by Werner Sombart's Why Is There No Socialism in the United States? After meticulously reviewing and challenging mainstream explanations and research on the 'exceptional' lack of class consciousness within the American working class, the authors conclude that American workers have been misread and are remarkably accurate in their perceptions of classes and class relations... Using the best available data and most sophisticated theory and analysis, Vanneman and Cannon add life to what many believe to be a tired and defeated issue in neo-Marxist literature, and clearly demonstrate the power of structural analysis over psychological reductionism. The book is stylish, well ordered, and well written." --Choice
