• Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. Background: the city, schooling, and social structure; 2. The Irish; 3. The Italians; 4. The Russian Jews; 5. The Blacks; Conclusion; Appendix. The research design, the data collection, and the use of regression analyses; Notes; Index.

'This is a superb book that will have a major impact on the historical profession. perlmann examines ethnicity in a way that no other historian has attempted to do. Using unusually rich and detailed data on schooling in Providence, Rhode Island, he explores the relationship between ethnicity and other factors, such as social class, in accounting for differences in education and occupational attainment. While the book is based upon sophisticated statistical analyses, the results are clearly presented in a fashion that makes them accessible to nonspecialists.' Maris Vinovskis, University of Michigan