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2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed
A meticulously reported, character-driven, unforgettable investigation of a time when nothing was certain and everything was at stake, by the acclaimed sociologist and best-selling author Eric Klinenberg
“A gripping, deeply moving account of a signal year in modern history, told through the stories of seven ordinary people.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies
2020 will go down alongside 1914, 1929, and 1968 as one of the most consequential years in history. This riveting and affecting book is the first attempt to capture the full human experience of that fateful time.
At the heart of 2020 are seven vivid profiles of ordinary New Yorkers—including an elementary school principal, a bar manager, a subway custodian, and a local political aide—whose experiences illuminate how Americans, and people across the globe, reckoned with 2020. Through these poignant stories, we revisit our own moments of hope and fear, the profound tragedies and losses in our communities, the mutual aid networks that brought us together, and the social movements that hinted at the possibilities of a better world.
Eric Klinenberg vividly captures these stories, casting them against the backdrop of a high-stakes presidential election, a surge of misinformation, rising distrust, and raging protests. We move from the epicenter in New York City to Washington and London, where political leaders made the crisis so much more lethal than it had to be. We bear witness to epidemiological battles in Wuhan and Beijing, along with the initiatives of scientists, citizens, and policy makers in Australia, Japan, and Taiwan, who worked together to save lives.
Klinenberg allows us to see 2020—and, ultimately, ourselves—with unprecedented clarity and empathy. His book not only helps us reckon with what we lived through, but also with the challenges we face before the next crisis arrives.
“A gripping, deeply moving account of a signal year in modern history, told through the stories of seven ordinary people.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies
2020 will go down alongside 1914, 1929, and 1968 as one of the most consequential years in history. This riveting and affecting book is the first attempt to capture the full human experience of that fateful time.
At the heart of 2020 are seven vivid profiles of ordinary New Yorkers—including an elementary school principal, a bar manager, a subway custodian, and a local political aide—whose experiences illuminate how Americans, and people across the globe, reckoned with 2020. Through these poignant stories, we revisit our own moments of hope and fear, the profound tragedies and losses in our communities, the mutual aid networks that brought us together, and the social movements that hinted at the possibilities of a better world.
Eric Klinenberg vividly captures these stories, casting them against the backdrop of a high-stakes presidential election, a surge of misinformation, rising distrust, and raging protests. We move from the epicenter in New York City to Washington and London, where political leaders made the crisis so much more lethal than it had to be. We bear witness to epidemiological battles in Wuhan and Beijing, along with the initiatives of scientists, citizens, and policy makers in Australia, Japan, and Taiwan, who worked together to save lives.
Klinenberg allows us to see 2020—and, ultimately, ourselves—with unprecedented clarity and empathy. His book not only helps us reckon with what we lived through, but also with the challenges we face before the next crisis arrives.
608 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2024
122 people are currently reading
4451 people want to read
About the author
Eric Klinenberg
17 books257 followersEric M. Klinenberg is an American sociologist and a scholar of urban studies, culture, and media. He is currently Helen Gould Shepard Professor in Social Science and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. Klinenberg is best known for his contributions as a public sociologist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 31, 2024
My Favorite Non-Fiction Book I read in 2024
Four years ago, we all were changed. The pandemic hit our lives and nothing was ever the same again. No matter how we felt about it, we were all touched by it in different ways.
Some of us may have been spared by not getting COVID, some may have gotten it, some may have witnessed close friends or family members dying from it. Some may still be suffering from long COVID. Some may have worked in the trenches. All of us had an experience with it that changed our view of life.
For me, I developed a pandemic social anxiety. I have been in therapy for the last year. I am doing much better about being around others, but I am still cautious about indoor spaces, and have yet to go to a restaurant or movie theatre. But my social experiences with others have improved.
The author decided to write this book as a way to highlight the experience of seven people in the first year of the pandemic in New York City. I decided to read it as part of my own therapy. To face the trauma of this pandemic helps me to address the anxiety. The author’s first paragraph captured my attention immediately.
“Breathing isn’t just about staying alive. It’s about living. It’s how you inhabit a place. Where you live. Where you work. Where you eat. You take in the air, bring the world in. You exhale, give something back. Breathing is our fundamental chemistry. It’s where all our connections begin. And that, for me, was the thing that made COVID so difficult, so scary. It was like, suddenly, whenever I left home, I was afraid to take a breath.”
Those were the words of Benjamin Bier a cardiologist and critical care physician in New York City in his fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital at the start of 2020.
I could relate to his words. Hand Over Heart ♥️Breathe was everything to me. I always would put my hand over my heart and then breathe, whenever I felt any level of anxiety. This simple touch helps to curb my anxiety.
And yet, when COVID hit, I was so fearful of breathing. So many of us wondered…
Would breathing give me COVID?
There were so many unknowns in those early days. So much fear of walking outside. Being around others. And yet, I loved where I lived. I loved being in nature. I loved walking my dogs with my husband. And, I craved those things.
What was happening to us?
Our world had narrowed and this book showcased just how much it had done to these 7 people. And their life examples felt so real to me. I felt torn open and exposed all over again.
But this time, I felt stronger and capable and ready to understand. Because it was 4 years later that I was reading this. And, I had been going through therapy and feeling strong enough to address my own challenges about COVID and the world around me.
Still, there were things the author presented that were old wounds.
“Why, in some places, did face masks become loaded objects that triggered cultural, political, and physical conflict, while in others they were used widely, with little controversy or debate?”
Obviously, this book is a warning. It is chilling. It is political. It can’t help but be. 2020 was a highly charged year. It was a reminder of what happened – what needed to be done – what had to be done – what didn’t happen – and what possibly could happen if we are not vigilant – as a community – a society – a civilized, caring country.
But it was also personal. By sharing the lives of 7 people, the author showed how it personally affected them. It helped those of us who read about them come to grips with our own experiences around the pandemic.
This book is well-researched and written. I took my time with it. Like an in-between book. (Reading it slowly, in-between my novels.) It was about 370 pages. The appendix, notes and index begin on page 371 and continue to page 444. I highly recommend it.
Four years ago, we all were changed. The pandemic hit our lives and nothing was ever the same again. No matter how we felt about it, we were all touched by it in different ways.
Some of us may have been spared by not getting COVID, some may have gotten it, some may have witnessed close friends or family members dying from it. Some may still be suffering from long COVID. Some may have worked in the trenches. All of us had an experience with it that changed our view of life.
For me, I developed a pandemic social anxiety. I have been in therapy for the last year. I am doing much better about being around others, but I am still cautious about indoor spaces, and have yet to go to a restaurant or movie theatre. But my social experiences with others have improved.
The author decided to write this book as a way to highlight the experience of seven people in the first year of the pandemic in New York City. I decided to read it as part of my own therapy. To face the trauma of this pandemic helps me to address the anxiety. The author’s first paragraph captured my attention immediately.
“Breathing isn’t just about staying alive. It’s about living. It’s how you inhabit a place. Where you live. Where you work. Where you eat. You take in the air, bring the world in. You exhale, give something back. Breathing is our fundamental chemistry. It’s where all our connections begin. And that, for me, was the thing that made COVID so difficult, so scary. It was like, suddenly, whenever I left home, I was afraid to take a breath.”
Those were the words of Benjamin Bier a cardiologist and critical care physician in New York City in his fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital at the start of 2020.
I could relate to his words. Hand Over Heart ♥️Breathe was everything to me. I always would put my hand over my heart and then breathe, whenever I felt any level of anxiety. This simple touch helps to curb my anxiety.
And yet, when COVID hit, I was so fearful of breathing. So many of us wondered…
Would breathing give me COVID?
There were so many unknowns in those early days. So much fear of walking outside. Being around others. And yet, I loved where I lived. I loved being in nature. I loved walking my dogs with my husband. And, I craved those things.
What was happening to us?
Our world had narrowed and this book showcased just how much it had done to these 7 people. And their life examples felt so real to me. I felt torn open and exposed all over again.
But this time, I felt stronger and capable and ready to understand. Because it was 4 years later that I was reading this. And, I had been going through therapy and feeling strong enough to address my own challenges about COVID and the world around me.
Still, there were things the author presented that were old wounds.
“Why, in some places, did face masks become loaded objects that triggered cultural, political, and physical conflict, while in others they were used widely, with little controversy or debate?”
Obviously, this book is a warning. It is chilling. It is political. It can’t help but be. 2020 was a highly charged year. It was a reminder of what happened – what needed to be done – what had to be done – what didn’t happen – and what possibly could happen if we are not vigilant – as a community – a society – a civilized, caring country.
But it was also personal. By sharing the lives of 7 people, the author showed how it personally affected them. It helped those of us who read about them come to grips with our own experiences around the pandemic.
This book is well-researched and written. I took my time with it. Like an in-between book. (Reading it slowly, in-between my novels.) It was about 370 pages. The appendix, notes and index begin on page 371 and continue to page 444. I highly recommend it.
April 26, 2024
This is a superb, well-researched, and impeccable reported overview of the pandemic. Probably the best work of journalism I have read on the subject so far. It's also an argument for more fastidious sociologists (and Eric Klinenberg certainly is one!) doing more journalism. Don't be fazed by the conceptual thrust of the book (one person from each of the five boroughs during the pandemic). Klinenberg canvasses the many ways that America (and other countries) responded to the pandemic and reveals many of the underlying national ills buried before 2020 that the pandemic rustled out. HE documents efforts at mutual aid, government malfeasance (not just Trump), and any number of approaches (both successes and failures) that numerous states (and societies) adopted in response to the pandemic. This is a skillful study of varying temperament and Klinenberg is thoroughly fair and objective throughout this. I'm definitely reading more from this dude. He is well-sourced, thorough, and seems to consider (or at least WANTS to consider) every angle.
June 22, 2024
A very deep look into what happened around the world and in the boroughs of NYC. I’m still trying to sort it all out so this book was a great help. The question that keeps me up on anxious nights…what happens next time?
January 20, 2024
Sociologist Klinenberg was living in New York City when the pandemic started. In this interesting, readable work of nonfiction, he interviews seven diverse people about their experiences living in NYC during the pandemic. Chapters alternate between the perspectives of the individuals and analysis of how people in the US handled different aspects of the pandemic, with comparisons between countries. I appreciated being able to read about others' experiences of the pandemic, and I was very moved by their perspectives.
December 1, 2024
We shall never forget what we ALL went though
June 21, 2024
Klinenberg, renowned author of groundbreaking books such as "Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life" (2018) and "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago" (2002), has released his latest book dedicated to the historic year of 2020.
In this compelling book, Klinenberg focuses on the experiences of seven ordinary New Yorkers in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through their stories, he delves into broader themes such as race, class, the evolving science of the virus, and the erosion of trust that contributed to the spread of misinformation.
Crucially, he highlights the Black Lives Matters protests that grew out of the public outrage over the police killing of George Floyd, putting them into the larger context of the sociopolitical and cultural shifts that transpired that year. He also punctures the untruth in the much repeated platitude that ‘we’re all in this together’- showing through data and personal narratives, how poor, Black, brown and immigrant communities were disproportionately negatively affected, exposing how the pandemic exacerbated the inequalities already present in our society.
What makes this book so engaging is how Klinenberg skillfully zooms into the minutiae of everyday peoples’ lives and then zooms back out to the macro-level issues, connecting them seamlessly. The timing of this book is excellent, as enough time has elapsed to allow for reflection, yet it remains close enough to evoke a visceral response from readers, enabling them to relive that tumultuous year.
In this compelling book, Klinenberg focuses on the experiences of seven ordinary New Yorkers in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through their stories, he delves into broader themes such as race, class, the evolving science of the virus, and the erosion of trust that contributed to the spread of misinformation.
Crucially, he highlights the Black Lives Matters protests that grew out of the public outrage over the police killing of George Floyd, putting them into the larger context of the sociopolitical and cultural shifts that transpired that year. He also punctures the untruth in the much repeated platitude that ‘we’re all in this together’- showing through data and personal narratives, how poor, Black, brown and immigrant communities were disproportionately negatively affected, exposing how the pandemic exacerbated the inequalities already present in our society.
What makes this book so engaging is how Klinenberg skillfully zooms into the minutiae of everyday peoples’ lives and then zooms back out to the macro-level issues, connecting them seamlessly. The timing of this book is excellent, as enough time has elapsed to allow for reflection, yet it remains close enough to evoke a visceral response from readers, enabling them to relive that tumultuous year.
April 1, 2024
2020 has helped us see things more clearly, but ultimately our fate depends on whether we can imagine something better and create a path that leads there.
--Eric Klinenberg
I stumbled across this book while browsing the new nonfiction shelves at my local library. I understand many readers may push a book like this away, saying it's far too soon to revisit the tumultuous and life-changing year. But I was intrigued, and I'm glad I picked it up.
2020 is a personal narrative, a reflective review of world events, and an anthology of individual experiences in the face of the deadly COVID pandemic. Chapters alternate between storytelling and science. The author relates the stories of seven New Yorkers from different backgrounds and neighborhoods. Each had deeply different experiences as 2020 began and unfolded. In between, Klinenberg reviews data from worldwide sources, looking at how different countries--from the U.S. to Australia and South Korea to Great Britain--responded to the pandemic and surrounding events, the policies and community practices each established, and the results numbers of transmission, infection, and death. He also shares the results of surveys he and his team conducted to understand the resulting mental health status of people, how students whose educational paths were interrupted and disrupted responded, and how they are coping with the new landscape. Klinenberg also weaves in the political events that are inextricably linked to that year and the few following. His focus is strongly on the U.S. political arena, but he also includes some reflections on events in places such as England and Australia.
This book is deeply engrossing and very interesting. As the saying goes, "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." I hope that by reflecting on these recent events and learning from our successes and failures, we can all move on together—stronger.
--Eric Klinenberg
I stumbled across this book while browsing the new nonfiction shelves at my local library. I understand many readers may push a book like this away, saying it's far too soon to revisit the tumultuous and life-changing year. But I was intrigued, and I'm glad I picked it up.
2020 is a personal narrative, a reflective review of world events, and an anthology of individual experiences in the face of the deadly COVID pandemic. Chapters alternate between storytelling and science. The author relates the stories of seven New Yorkers from different backgrounds and neighborhoods. Each had deeply different experiences as 2020 began and unfolded. In between, Klinenberg reviews data from worldwide sources, looking at how different countries--from the U.S. to Australia and South Korea to Great Britain--responded to the pandemic and surrounding events, the policies and community practices each established, and the results numbers of transmission, infection, and death. He also shares the results of surveys he and his team conducted to understand the resulting mental health status of people, how students whose educational paths were interrupted and disrupted responded, and how they are coping with the new landscape. Klinenberg also weaves in the political events that are inextricably linked to that year and the few following. His focus is strongly on the U.S. political arena, but he also includes some reflections on events in places such as England and Australia.
This book is deeply engrossing and very interesting. As the saying goes, "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." I hope that by reflecting on these recent events and learning from our successes and failures, we can all move on together—stronger.
February 5, 2024
I was not especially eager to read a book about 2020 and the pandemic, but was especially interested in Klinenberg's take on it, after having read his previous book Palaces for the People. That book explored the importance of social infrastructure, including a lot on the importance of public libraries, and he had also previously studied the disparities in deaths in Chicago communities during the 1995 heat wave.
2020 tells the story of seven individuals in New York City during the pandemic: a school principal, a doctor, a political aide, a business owner, the organizer of a community aid project among them. Around these individuals, Klinenberg covers the rest of the events of 2020, primarily the pandemic but also the election and George Floyd protests. He examines how the pandemic played out in different neighborhoods and different countries, helped or hurt by the various governmental and public figures' responses and policies.
It was hard to pin down the overall message of the book since it tackles so many aspects of the year from so many perspectives. There were a lot of very interesting threads, stories, studies, and statistics--the discussion on social distancing, for example, was especially interesting. Some of the stories of how people came together were inspiring to read, but overall it felt like a depressing litany of missteps and missed opportunities that further divided us, rather than uniting us during such a collective experience.
2020 tells the story of seven individuals in New York City during the pandemic: a school principal, a doctor, a political aide, a business owner, the organizer of a community aid project among them. Around these individuals, Klinenberg covers the rest of the events of 2020, primarily the pandemic but also the election and George Floyd protests. He examines how the pandemic played out in different neighborhoods and different countries, helped or hurt by the various governmental and public figures' responses and policies.
It was hard to pin down the overall message of the book since it tackles so many aspects of the year from so many perspectives. There were a lot of very interesting threads, stories, studies, and statistics--the discussion on social distancing, for example, was especially interesting. Some of the stories of how people came together were inspiring to read, but overall it felt like a depressing litany of missteps and missed opportunities that further divided us, rather than uniting us during such a collective experience.
May 13, 2024
I very much recommend this book. The author focuses on telling very local and personal stories while also bringing in a lot of the large scale research done on 2020 to provide context for those stories. In this book you get to see the very human work of collective aid happening in NYC while seeing those in power (both politically, financially, and socially) abdicate responsibility and allow those on the margins to fend for themselves. This book was both inspiring and depressing. But I found it helpful to relive 2020 looking back with better information. 4 years later we have good information about what strategies worked and what didn’t. We also can see how Americans experienced the pandemic in more antisocial ways than any other country while also having the least strict lockdown measures. The American psyche is diseased and this book gives a bit of a glimpse into how resilient or depraved we can be. If you want to understand 2020 this book is a help.
February 22, 2024
"2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed" by Eric Klinenberg is a profound and captivating exploration of the tumultuous year that reshaped the world. Through the lens of seven diverse individuals in one city, Klinenberg masterfully illustrates the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, and political upheaval, painting a vivid portrait of resilience, adversity, and transformation.
Klinenberg's narrative is deeply humanizing, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of his subjects as they navigate unprecedented challenges. The book stands out for its ability to balance personal stories with broader socio-political analysis, providing a nuanced understanding of 2020's events and their implications on society. Klinenberg, a renowned sociologist, uses his expertise to dissect the complexities of the year, from the failures of public health systems to the movements for racial justice, highlighting the interconnectedness of global and local issues.
What makes "2020" particularly compelling is Klinenberg's skill in storytelling. The individuals' stories are told with empathy and depth, making the reader feel connected to their struggles and triumphs. These personal narratives serve as a powerful lens through which the reader can understand the broader societal shifts, making the book not only an account of a year but also a testament to human resilience.
Klinenberg does not shy away from critiquing the systemic failures exposed by the events of 2020. His analysis is incisive and thought-provoking, offering valuable insights into how societies can better prepare for future crises. Yet, despite the challenges detailed in the book, there is an underlying current of hope. The resilience of the individuals and communities Klinenberg profiles suggests a capacity for healing and rebuilding that is profoundly inspiring.
"2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed" is also a call to action, urging readers to reflect on their own roles within their communities and the broader society. Klinenberg's discussion of "social infrastructure" and its role in fostering resilience and solidarity is particularly relevant, offering a blueprint for creating more inclusive and supportive communities.
In summary, Eric Klinenberg's "2020" is a masterful blend of personal narrative and sociological analysis that captures the essence of a year that will be remembered for generations. It is a book that not only documents the events of 2020 but also challenges us to think critically about our society and our place within it. For anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the year and its impact on human lives and society, "2020" is an essential and enlightening read, offering lessons that are crucial for navigating the future.
Klinenberg's narrative is deeply humanizing, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of his subjects as they navigate unprecedented challenges. The book stands out for its ability to balance personal stories with broader socio-political analysis, providing a nuanced understanding of 2020's events and their implications on society. Klinenberg, a renowned sociologist, uses his expertise to dissect the complexities of the year, from the failures of public health systems to the movements for racial justice, highlighting the interconnectedness of global and local issues.
What makes "2020" particularly compelling is Klinenberg's skill in storytelling. The individuals' stories are told with empathy and depth, making the reader feel connected to their struggles and triumphs. These personal narratives serve as a powerful lens through which the reader can understand the broader societal shifts, making the book not only an account of a year but also a testament to human resilience.
Klinenberg does not shy away from critiquing the systemic failures exposed by the events of 2020. His analysis is incisive and thought-provoking, offering valuable insights into how societies can better prepare for future crises. Yet, despite the challenges detailed in the book, there is an underlying current of hope. The resilience of the individuals and communities Klinenberg profiles suggests a capacity for healing and rebuilding that is profoundly inspiring.
"2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed" is also a call to action, urging readers to reflect on their own roles within their communities and the broader society. Klinenberg's discussion of "social infrastructure" and its role in fostering resilience and solidarity is particularly relevant, offering a blueprint for creating more inclusive and supportive communities.
In summary, Eric Klinenberg's "2020" is a masterful blend of personal narrative and sociological analysis that captures the essence of a year that will be remembered for generations. It is a book that not only documents the events of 2020 but also challenges us to think critically about our society and our place within it. For anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the year and its impact on human lives and society, "2020" is an essential and enlightening read, offering lessons that are crucial for navigating the future.
April 10, 2024
Chapter 16 and Chapter 15 are the most important parts of this book, in that order. Chapter 16 provides an explanation for why we’ve seen an increase in violent crimes in the U.S. since the pandemic: anomie (social instability caused by erosion of standards and values). Chapter 15 focuses on the pandemic’s impact on the lives of young adults and how it could affect their social lives, education trajectory, and careers for years to come. The rest of the book was a rehash of much of what I already knew about the pandemic thanks to all my doomscrolling. It will be a helpful reference the further away we get from 2020. Kudos to the author for helping us remember the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of how America responded to the crisis.
July 27, 2024
“Breathing isn't just about staying alive. It's about living. It's how you inhabit a place. Where you live. Where you work. You take in the air, bring the world in. You exhale, give something back. Breathing is our fundamental chemistry. It's where all our connections begin. And that, for me, was the thing that made COVID so difficult, so scary. It was like, suddenly, whenever I left home, I was afraid to take a breath.”
An excellent book that analyzes the first year of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic through the eyes of seven New Yorkers (at least one from each borough), as well as through a wider global lens, focused primarily on the response of Anglo Saxon and a few Asian countries to the pandemic. Klinenberg maintains a balanced tone throughout the narrative, and treats his interviewees with respect and compassion even when it appears he may disagree with their choices and actions. Acts of radicalization are presented honestly and compassionately, as we come to realize that the lock-down left out many people who desperately needed help (including essential workers and small business owners), while large corporations and people in power enjoyed privileges. I particularly appreciated the story of Daniel Presti, an initially apolitical small business owner who was set up for failure by an indifferent bureaucratic system; when he challenged it, the retaliation included a false arrest report and what can best be described as persecution by the authorities. While his later participation in alt-right organizations was disappointing, his radicalization was understandable (I still condemn it) and should serve as a warning about how leaving people behind can only weaken and further splinter our society. In the same vein, I found Enuma Menkiti's story extremely poignant as well. Enuma, a charter school teacher married to a correctional officer and the mother of two small children found herself excluded from childcare due to fears that her husband may serve as a vector, even though the family had already recovered from COVID. As she accurately put it: "She laughed at the absurdity of her family's predicament, the parents work so essential that they could not fulfill their parental responsibility, yet not valued enough for them to afford the resources they needed. (…) being called essential meant being treated as disposable."
At the same time, there were encouraging stories about communities coming together to support each other that restored my faith in humanity. The BLM protests of 2020 are also excellently analyzed, with the author maintaining a factual tone without losing the gravity and importance of the movement.
Overall, I found the book very interesting, in the way it presented experiences that were "at once uniquely personal and indicative of universal trends." The choice to focus on New York City was clearly explained: the metropolis was one of the hardest hit during the first wave, and its population is both large and extremely diverse. At the same time, even it "New York City contains the universe, it also shuffles, or alternatively, segregates everyone within it, creating what the urban sociologist Robert Park once described as 'a mosaic of little social worlds which touch but do not interpenetrate.'" A highly recommended read.
An excellent book that analyzes the first year of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic through the eyes of seven New Yorkers (at least one from each borough), as well as through a wider global lens, focused primarily on the response of Anglo Saxon and a few Asian countries to the pandemic. Klinenberg maintains a balanced tone throughout the narrative, and treats his interviewees with respect and compassion even when it appears he may disagree with their choices and actions. Acts of radicalization are presented honestly and compassionately, as we come to realize that the lock-down left out many people who desperately needed help (including essential workers and small business owners), while large corporations and people in power enjoyed privileges. I particularly appreciated the story of Daniel Presti, an initially apolitical small business owner who was set up for failure by an indifferent bureaucratic system; when he challenged it, the retaliation included a false arrest report and what can best be described as persecution by the authorities. While his later participation in alt-right organizations was disappointing, his radicalization was understandable (I still condemn it) and should serve as a warning about how leaving people behind can only weaken and further splinter our society. In the same vein, I found Enuma Menkiti's story extremely poignant as well. Enuma, a charter school teacher married to a correctional officer and the mother of two small children found herself excluded from childcare due to fears that her husband may serve as a vector, even though the family had already recovered from COVID. As she accurately put it: "She laughed at the absurdity of her family's predicament, the parents work so essential that they could not fulfill their parental responsibility, yet not valued enough for them to afford the resources they needed. (…) being called essential meant being treated as disposable."
At the same time, there were encouraging stories about communities coming together to support each other that restored my faith in humanity. The BLM protests of 2020 are also excellently analyzed, with the author maintaining a factual tone without losing the gravity and importance of the movement.
Overall, I found the book very interesting, in the way it presented experiences that were "at once uniquely personal and indicative of universal trends." The choice to focus on New York City was clearly explained: the metropolis was one of the hardest hit during the first wave, and its population is both large and extremely diverse. At the same time, even it "New York City contains the universe, it also shuffles, or alternatively, segregates everyone within it, creating what the urban sociologist Robert Park once described as 'a mosaic of little social worlds which touch but do not interpenetrate.'" A highly recommended read.
April 23, 2025
Reflecting back on a global pandemic that killed millions, inconvenienced millions more, and irrevocably changed society going forward is not always the most fun experience in literature. But of course, looking back on major events sheds a type of illumination on such topics that are lost in the craziness of the moment. For the most part, Eric Klinenberg does a good job of opening that 5-year reflection conversation in "2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed".
This book basically follows two tracks:
1. Seven interviews with New York City residents who dealt with the pandemic in varied ways. Health care, business owner, protester, parent, student, etc.
2. Interwoven with the interviews are pockets of more historical reporting, such as how COVID-19 began, the Trump presidential administration's handling of it, how various countries (+ USA) handled lockdowns, its impact on minority populations, and how the overall pandemic changed the very fabric of society (working from home, pivot even harder to social media, loneliness, etc.)
Overall, this ends up being a really solid mix of fact and perspective. A lot of statistics are thrown around, which can be a little overwhelming, but I can understand why--as truly grappling with the breadth of the pandemic requires at least attempting to quantify its reach. The personal stories are also good, if very limited to NYC life in this case. Perhaps a little hard to relate to for all audiences, but the stories of relatives dying and extreme anxiety will strike a chord with most readers.
Why not five stars for "2020"? Perhaps simply because reading about such an uncertain time that I myself also lived through isn't always pleasant for 350+ pages. I will also say that Klinenberg's style is a bit clinical at times--very clearly a social scientist approach as opposed to a more personal or journalistic style. In short, a few less stats and a few more qualitative observations may have bumped this up even further for me.
But as it stands, "2020" is the first book I've read that really starts grappling with the legacy--for better or worse--of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is merit to that in and of itself and it is solidly-enough written to be informative and reflective.
This book basically follows two tracks:
1. Seven interviews with New York City residents who dealt with the pandemic in varied ways. Health care, business owner, protester, parent, student, etc.
2. Interwoven with the interviews are pockets of more historical reporting, such as how COVID-19 began, the Trump presidential administration's handling of it, how various countries (+ USA) handled lockdowns, its impact on minority populations, and how the overall pandemic changed the very fabric of society (working from home, pivot even harder to social media, loneliness, etc.)
Overall, this ends up being a really solid mix of fact and perspective. A lot of statistics are thrown around, which can be a little overwhelming, but I can understand why--as truly grappling with the breadth of the pandemic requires at least attempting to quantify its reach. The personal stories are also good, if very limited to NYC life in this case. Perhaps a little hard to relate to for all audiences, but the stories of relatives dying and extreme anxiety will strike a chord with most readers.
Why not five stars for "2020"? Perhaps simply because reading about such an uncertain time that I myself also lived through isn't always pleasant for 350+ pages. I will also say that Klinenberg's style is a bit clinical at times--very clearly a social scientist approach as opposed to a more personal or journalistic style. In short, a few less stats and a few more qualitative observations may have bumped this up even further for me.
But as it stands, "2020" is the first book I've read that really starts grappling with the legacy--for better or worse--of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is merit to that in and of itself and it is solidly-enough written to be informative and reflective.
March 29, 2024
Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for allowing me to read and review 2020 One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed on NetGalley.
Published: 02/13/24
Stars: 3
Too soon.
I would have loved this in my early school speech years, and it would have been a staple in my college debate days.
The book is less about COVID the disease and more about political gains and losses. This is written too soon for those who lived it in responsible time. It's full of future debate cards -- one book can take your team either way.
I wasn't impressed from a reasonable person perspective.
Published: 02/13/24
Stars: 3
Too soon.
I would have loved this in my early school speech years, and it would have been a staple in my college debate days.
The book is less about COVID the disease and more about political gains and losses. This is written too soon for those who lived it in responsible time. It's full of future debate cards -- one book can take your team either way.
I wasn't impressed from a reasonable person perspective.
March 10, 2024
I stopped reading this just after the halfway mark. It was pretty boring, and seemed pointless for those of us (right now, everyone) who just lived through it.
The chapters that focused on individuals, and their specific COVID/lockdowns were better, but not enough to dedicate the time to finish the book.
Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for this #arc of #2020 in exchange for an honest review.
The chapters that focused on individuals, and their specific COVID/lockdowns were better, but not enough to dedicate the time to finish the book.
Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for this #arc of #2020 in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2024
Very thoughtful narrative that not only follows the stories of residents of NYC’s various burroughs , but also manages to touch on the global view as well, while also focusing on politics and politicians of the time.
November 20, 2025
Brilliant analysis layered with personal stories from 2020, the year of COVID. A sociological expert on disasters, Klineberg experienced this one first hand and it comes through vividly in his writing. I’ll add this one to the natural disaster reading list for students on HIS 413!
May 30, 2025
Long but very interesting
July 2, 2025
The essential read about COVID. Amazing how 2020 broke the back of America.
Read
December 4, 2024for class
March 25, 2024
Even after four years, some of this was extremely difficult to get through. And yet, I worked my way to the end.
July 18, 2024
I’ve read several books on this topic. This one by far was the worst. This was the CNN version with zero objectivity(I’m not looking for the Fox version either). The author’s bias was on full display. I’ve spent most of my life as a registered Independent (and a New Yorker) and appreciate fair assessments sharing both the negative and positive by both sides. In this story, if the democrats did something wrong, it was explained away as being on a learning curve, however the same grace was not extended to the other side. In fact, there were some cases of name calling. Much wrongdoing was uncovered in many other accounts but glazed over or not even mentioned here. Present it all. Let the reader decide. I did find the stories of each individual in this book to be very interesting. I wound up skipping around much.
November 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this. I appreciated the personal stories as well as the facts. It took me right back to 2020, both the scary times and in a weird way the nostalgia of that time. I’m sure we all remember what we were doing when the pandemic started. This was emotional and very hard hitting. It’s impactful as it really makes you think about how many people died and how many people are still suffering.
English didn't hesitate. The moment he found out about the first demonstration in New York City, he knew he would be there. Was he worried about catching COVID? "Not any more than I was about being murdered by the police," he said. "That was the way thought about it. Like, yes, COVID was something on a global scale. It we frightening to a lot of people. But that sort of invisible threat that's looming that you don't know when it's gonna happen, when it's gonna attack, when it's gonna find you. As a Black person in America, I've lived with that my entire life. And so the virus didn't change things for me. The fear that I had going to the grocery store during COVID is the same fear that I had when I was walking down a country road as a child and didn't know whether a pickup truck full of white men was gonna pull up like they did with Ahmaud Arbery and, you know, pull out a shotgun, or do something else. What I told myself while I was out there in the streets is that COVID is just another in the long run of invisible assailants, potential assailants, against my body, that at least I could wear a mask for COVID. There's not a mask that I can wear so racial injustice doesn't find me, at least in this country. So no. COVID wasn't.... It wasn't a primary concern."
AND
"I kind of see who's in my life permanently, and I see who is in my life temporarily.... I find it a lot harder to maintain more of those surface-level connections with people." Leticia, also a twenty-one-year-old at the Jesuit college, said, "I'm more picky with who I relate to. I started to hang out only with specific people that were my really close friends. I try to avoid socializing with people that are not going to form long-lasting relationships with me."
English didn't hesitate. The moment he found out about the first demonstration in New York City, he knew he would be there. Was he worried about catching COVID? "Not any more than I was about being murdered by the police," he said. "That was the way thought about it. Like, yes, COVID was something on a global scale. It we frightening to a lot of people. But that sort of invisible threat that's looming that you don't know when it's gonna happen, when it's gonna attack, when it's gonna find you. As a Black person in America, I've lived with that my entire life. And so the virus didn't change things for me. The fear that I had going to the grocery store during COVID is the same fear that I had when I was walking down a country road as a child and didn't know whether a pickup truck full of white men was gonna pull up like they did with Ahmaud Arbery and, you know, pull out a shotgun, or do something else. What I told myself while I was out there in the streets is that COVID is just another in the long run of invisible assailants, potential assailants, against my body, that at least I could wear a mask for COVID. There's not a mask that I can wear so racial injustice doesn't find me, at least in this country. So no. COVID wasn't.... It wasn't a primary concern."
AND
"I kind of see who's in my life permanently, and I see who is in my life temporarily.... I find it a lot harder to maintain more of those surface-level connections with people." Leticia, also a twenty-one-year-old at the Jesuit college, said, "I'm more picky with who I relate to. I started to hang out only with specific people that were my really close friends. I try to avoid socializing with people that are not going to form long-lasting relationships with me."
June 14, 2024
This reads like an attempt to make sense of the incomprehensible using both statistics and personal narratives.
Eric Klinenberg is a sociologist, and he takes on global society's greatest challenge in recent memory -- the COVID-19 pandemic. He intersperses chapters on issues that were raised, laid bare, or exacerbated (or some combination thereof) by the emergence of a novel coronavirus that rampaged around the world beginning in late 2019 with first-person tales from people who lived through and with them. It makes perfect sense to use New York City as the titular city, because early in the US pandemic it was a hot spot whose people lived with the sound of sirens and the sight of refrigerated trucks full of bodies for months. New York is also an astoundingly diverse place, which is a sociologist's dream as far as surveys and stats go; it's also easy to find folks from different ethnic groups, neighborhoods, socioeconomic statuses, and ages, for example, if you want to record their stories.
I'm glad I read this largely because I now feel like I'm not crazy -- at least in my experience of the pandemic. And I had it comparatively easy. None of us lost our jobs, schooling went on pretty much as usual (but remotely), we didn't lose any close friends or family members to the disease. But the upheaval in society, the disruption of routines, the fear and uncertainty about what even the next day would bring...that seems pretty universal. It led to a constant level of stress that I know changed me and how I experience the world, even now that it's (contagion-wise) at least marginally safer.
It was hard to read about the scope of despair and loss and isolation and fear, and probably harder still to read the seven people's stories about those things. Up side, if there is one? I found that I'm not completely dead inside because I still felt for those humans.
Eric Klinenberg is a sociologist, and he takes on global society's greatest challenge in recent memory -- the COVID-19 pandemic. He intersperses chapters on issues that were raised, laid bare, or exacerbated (or some combination thereof) by the emergence of a novel coronavirus that rampaged around the world beginning in late 2019 with first-person tales from people who lived through and with them. It makes perfect sense to use New York City as the titular city, because early in the US pandemic it was a hot spot whose people lived with the sound of sirens and the sight of refrigerated trucks full of bodies for months. New York is also an astoundingly diverse place, which is a sociologist's dream as far as surveys and stats go; it's also easy to find folks from different ethnic groups, neighborhoods, socioeconomic statuses, and ages, for example, if you want to record their stories.
I'm glad I read this largely because I now feel like I'm not crazy -- at least in my experience of the pandemic. And I had it comparatively easy. None of us lost our jobs, schooling went on pretty much as usual (but remotely), we didn't lose any close friends or family members to the disease. But the upheaval in society, the disruption of routines, the fear and uncertainty about what even the next day would bring...that seems pretty universal. It led to a constant level of stress that I know changed me and how I experience the world, even now that it's (contagion-wise) at least marginally safer.
It was hard to read about the scope of despair and loss and isolation and fear, and probably harder still to read the seven people's stories about those things. Up side, if there is one? I found that I'm not completely dead inside because I still felt for those humans.
April 12, 2025
70%
Coronavirus covid-19. Over in 2020 and it's a cool idea.
Looking at the social aspects, how it affected people on an individual level.
Some of
Just really. Weirdly ambiguous. And he says uses statistics and data, but he didn't use statistics and data for everything. He made a lot of inferences.
And this is, I, I do think it's great to have these first person perspectives. Problem is. When you enter in and get your political narratives mixed up with storytelling,
And something that should in theory, be an unbiased account. Uh, I don't think he ever said in the story that it was going to be an unbiased account, but that's At least something that should be expected.
Jam on him.
Uh, there's this, there's a very strong subliminal voice that says, You know, Democratic party good.
Republican party and the people that support it, not very good.
And then there's also the voice that says, You know, in some Republicans just suck, they're bad people. And that's why I included this. I can write extremist narrative because it's important to look at all points. But by
Straight up class applying him that way.
Having your bias shown still heavily that it gets stupid. And I'm not saying that he's not a right extremist. I have no idea. This person is
But,
Showing your hand like that and Not even it seems like the author didn't even try to be unbiased. They said, you know, it was data. I know it wasn't all data.
It was selective narrative painting.
And then literally using The one view that you included that you didn't support,
As. The counter argument.
It says, you know, Obviously included that person because they're crazy. It's like, oh,
To just put it in there. Just an example of what a crazy person is. Okay.
So you're still a really good story. It's just that it, this is the wrong author to write this.
Coronavirus covid-19. Over in 2020 and it's a cool idea.
Looking at the social aspects, how it affected people on an individual level.
Some of
Just really. Weirdly ambiguous. And he says uses statistics and data, but he didn't use statistics and data for everything. He made a lot of inferences.
And this is, I, I do think it's great to have these first person perspectives. Problem is. When you enter in and get your political narratives mixed up with storytelling,
And something that should in theory, be an unbiased account. Uh, I don't think he ever said in the story that it was going to be an unbiased account, but that's At least something that should be expected.
Jam on him.
Uh, there's this, there's a very strong subliminal voice that says, You know, Democratic party good.
Republican party and the people that support it, not very good.
And then there's also the voice that says, You know, in some Republicans just suck, they're bad people. And that's why I included this. I can write extremist narrative because it's important to look at all points. But by
Straight up class applying him that way.
Having your bias shown still heavily that it gets stupid. And I'm not saying that he's not a right extremist. I have no idea. This person is
But,
Showing your hand like that and Not even it seems like the author didn't even try to be unbiased. They said, you know, it was data. I know it wasn't all data.
It was selective narrative painting.
And then literally using The one view that you included that you didn't support,
As. The counter argument.
It says, you know, Obviously included that person because they're crazy. It's like, oh,
To just put it in there. Just an example of what a crazy person is. Okay.
So you're still a really good story. It's just that it, this is the wrong author to write this.
March 25, 2025
It’s crazy how five years can simultaneously feel like yesterday and like a lifetime ago. It was a good reminder of how scary that time was for all of us, especially medical professionals, essential workers, and people who lost loved ones due to COVID. What took the lives of so many people has largely now become as ubiquitous as other mild respiratory viruses. I just had it for the first time last summer, and while it was unpleasant and I was definitely sick, it felt like nothing more than a bad cold. I never once had to worry about serious illness or even death (VACCINES WORK). How quickly we can forget that that was not always the case, and how lucky we are to be able to see loved ones, go to social gatherings, and just be able to be out in public without fear.
The book was very well-researched and covered the effects of the pandemic on many different types of people from many different angles. There was a good balance of statistics with the stories of real people during that time. I also found the details of how other countries responded to the pandemic fascinating.
Though much has changed since 2020, much has unfortunately stayed the same. What seemed like it could have been a time for great hope, progress, and change has now brought even more division and hatred. Reflecting on that was one of the most challenging parts of reading this book. We can only hope that in another five years, things will have changed for the better.
The book was very well-researched and covered the effects of the pandemic on many different types of people from many different angles. There was a good balance of statistics with the stories of real people during that time. I also found the details of how other countries responded to the pandemic fascinating.
Though much has changed since 2020, much has unfortunately stayed the same. What seemed like it could have been a time for great hope, progress, and change has now brought even more division and hatred. Reflecting on that was one of the most challenging parts of reading this book. We can only hope that in another five years, things will have changed for the better.
December 29, 2023
Everyone experienced the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but outcomes varied from local communities to states in America, to countries around the globe. I live in New York which became the epicenter of pandemic death, yet any solid information was lacking and misinformation was always a possibility. I was very interested to read Klinenberg's sociological study of the first pandemic year to finally understand the extent of this disaster.
He covered an extensive amount in this book, both on the micro and the macro levels. Evaluating how various countries successfully tamped down covid and saved their populations, he found that positive leadership and a communal desire to play by the rules were paramount to a good outcome. Along with answering the big questions, Klinenberg also addressed the pandemic through seven first person accounts from people in all boroughs of New York City. Bringing experiences down to the personal level gave the reader a way to immediately identify how people felt and how they coped with the unthinkable.
The book was very enlightening-I hope that people in positions to affect change in the next crisis will have read his observations and gotten some clues on how to manage this better.
He covered an extensive amount in this book, both on the micro and the macro levels. Evaluating how various countries successfully tamped down covid and saved their populations, he found that positive leadership and a communal desire to play by the rules were paramount to a good outcome. Along with answering the big questions, Klinenberg also addressed the pandemic through seven first person accounts from people in all boroughs of New York City. Bringing experiences down to the personal level gave the reader a way to immediately identify how people felt and how they coped with the unthinkable.
The book was very enlightening-I hope that people in positions to affect change in the next crisis will have read his observations and gotten some clues on how to manage this better.
March 4, 2024
I give a lot of credit to the author, and any reader strong enough to get through this right now. I began this read after hearing Kleinenberg's interview on NPR, and was intrigued by his take on 'this is a crisis of trust,' one we are still laboring under in a very pivotal 2024.
As well-written as the book is, I could not continue revisiting the memories of the deaths, the uncertainty, and the blatant lies from that time. If we were assured of not repeating all the nonsense, I would revel in the research and the reporting; but, as a realist looking out on our fragile democracy, I just don't have the fortitude to keep trying to understand the logic of where such a large minority of my countrymen are at. I'll pick it up again when sanity and reason are assured, later in this year.
I hope.
As well-written as the book is, I could not continue revisiting the memories of the deaths, the uncertainty, and the blatant lies from that time. If we were assured of not repeating all the nonsense, I would revel in the research and the reporting; but, as a realist looking out on our fragile democracy, I just don't have the fortitude to keep trying to understand the logic of where such a large minority of my countrymen are at. I'll pick it up again when sanity and reason are assured, later in this year.
I hope.
Read
March 7, 2024The first page is “Breathing isn’t just staying alive. It’s about living. It how you inhibit a place . Where you live. Where you eat. How you take in the air, bring the world in.” Then there’s a list of amazing things in 1492, 1776, 1918, and 1968. And then there’s the word Epidemiologists (61). It takes some time to get a anchor from Klinenberg.
Probably this is one of the early books that will tell us what happened when we had to work at home and the kids learned by staying at home. He uses many of the changes of life at that time to tell us what was it was and, in end of the chapter, will happen. It has been very differently and he sees new things to happen. Chapter 15 is “Growing UP.” And then it’s the challenge in Chapter 16, called “American Anomie.”
We will see many books about what the USA had to go through in 2020. There will be more.
Probably this is one of the early books that will tell us what happened when we had to work at home and the kids learned by staying at home. He uses many of the changes of life at that time to tell us what was it was and, in end of the chapter, will happen. It has been very differently and he sees new things to happen. Chapter 15 is “Growing UP.” And then it’s the challenge in Chapter 16, called “American Anomie.”
We will see many books about what the USA had to go through in 2020. There will be more.
March 14, 2024
2020 is a book that tells the story of the COVID pandemic in 2 ways: by the larger story of various aspects of the pandemic worldwide and through the smaller stories of individual experiences. It centers NYC in both these, but its total scope is quite comprehensive. It is dense but not at all dry. I went to it for the personal stories but appreciate the whole book, even though the events are so recent and I feel a bit of the collective PTSD we all seem to have around the pandemic. I think this book is a vital historical document, concentrating a lot of information about the pandemic and the human response to it. I have some mild concerns about some confirmation bias contained in it, as there are some data interpretations that seem to have been left out, but it remains an excellent work, though with a bleak ending.
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