The Optimism Gap: The I'm Ok-They're Not Syndrome and the Myth of American Decline

by David Whitman

Looks at how Americans express good feelings about their own lives but view the country as a whole pessimistically

190 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1998

Reviews

[Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in the 90's, this book is a little bit outdated in terms of the issues that it discusses. But the concept is still relevant today. We see it today in how people see problems around them but not necessarily in their own lives. It describes how some people see racism as a problem, even when they've never personally experienced it. Or how we all think our representative in Congress is doing a good job but we think all the other congressmen are not doing a good job. We think society is in decline when it really isn't. There's more data and studies shared here to back up the concept.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some valuable bits from social science research along the way, but for the most part this is one of those "Everything is OK, despite what the nay-sayers claim" books. Cherry-picked examples regarding crimes, drugs, SAT scores, etc. are thought to rebut stories of decline. The book ends with a paean to consumerism.