America and Americans

Damon Wise opened his barbecue restaurant, Pineapple Express, in Montclair, N.J., with a traditional business plan. Forty percent of the revenue would come from food sales, and 60 percent would come from alcohol. A veteran of the New York City restaurant world who had operated restaurants in multiple states, he knew this was the magic

When I was growing up in New Haven, CT., my parents subscribed not only to our local newspaper––The New Haven Register, still extant––but also to The New York Times and the now defunct (since 1966) The New York Herald Tribune. I think I was about eight or nine years old when I was idly flipping

The decline of religion remains a fundamental reality in most Western countries, particularly in Europe, where over 50% of those under age 40 do not identify with any faith. Even in more religious America, some estimate that as many as 100,000 churches will close in the near future. Meanwhile, the ranks of “Nones,” those outside religious communities, have grown so large

I Don’t Recognize My America Any More! Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people. Roy T. Bennett, author of The Light in the Heart Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is

When we talk about political violence, we almost always assume that its perpetrators are young men. That makes sense: men are statistically more likely to engage in physical aggression and get arrested for violent crimes at higher rates. At the same time, many are facing rising unemployment, declining educational attainment, and increasing social disengagement. Given all

Here’s a challenge. Ask your neighbor, ask your best friend, ask the guy standing next to you at the deli counter, ask as many relatives as possible, ask any real-estate agent in the world this question: What is the Number One thing all people in the world do when they decide to move into an

As a kid, I had a hard time imagining the year 2000, but now, we’re more than a quarter century past that, as 2025 rolls into history. According to surveys, only 10% of Americans felt it was a “good” year; 20% thought it was a “bad” year, and 28% thought it was a “terrible” year.  The

Even as many scholars and pundits deny the differences between the sexes and vastly expand the concept of gender, society is increasingly dividing along these clear and simple lines. Mountains of data and broad-based studies show that men and women increasingly inhabit separate psychological, relational, and civic universes that interpret adulthood, authority, intimacy, and obligation