A well-informed analysis of a perennial problem.
How to move forward on immigration.
Economist Kane, a research fellow in immigration studies at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, mounts an enthusiastic argument for the critical importance of immigrants to the future of the U.S. Immigrants, he asserts, bring physical strength and ruggedness, traits they demonstrate in carrying out the effort of migration. Once here, they are likely to start new businesses, get advanced degrees, and patent new inventions. The unfortunate polarization of the debate about immigration, in Kane’s view, has been fueled by the media and by anti-immigration activists who propagate the myth of immigrants as “job thieves and cultural misfits.” The author counters that assumption by presenting data showing that newcomers affirm greater patriotism than native-born Americans and have bolstered the rate of economic growth in states where immigration is highest. Kane blames both parties for hyperbole, criticizing Democrats for investing in a culture war led by critical race theory activists. Despite polarizing rhetoric, reputable surveys (Pew, Gallop) and studies reveal that most Americans support the present level of immigration of about 1 million people per year. Dispelling a pernicious myth, Kane shows how America is not overrun with immigrants: In fact, in the early 19th century, 30% of the population was foreign-born; now it is 15%. The origin story of America, he notes, was one of refugee emigration: “newcomers were fleeing oppression in the Old World for freedom in the New.” Offering an overview of immigration legislation, Kane praises presidents who have been the most open to immigration, such as Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and especially Ronald Reagan. As far as immigration reform, Kane suggests beginning with a subissue that garners widespread support and following up with incremental steps. Needed reforms might include overhauling work visas and redefining refugee programs to promote human rights. Immigration, Kane underscores, is America’s “fundamental cause of extraordinary prosperity and military power.”
A well-informed analysis of a perennial problem.Pub Date: Jan. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-19-008819-4
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.
Words that made a nation.
Isaacson is known for expansive biographies of great thinkers (and Elon Musk), but here he pens a succinct, stimulating commentary on the Founding Fathers’ ode to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” His close reading of the Declaration of Independence’s second sentence, published to mark the 250th anniversary of the document’s adoption, doesn’t downplay its “moral contradiction.” Thomas Jefferson enslaved hundreds of people yet called slavery “a cruel war against human nature” in his first draft of the Declaration. All but 15 of the document’s 56 signers owned enslaved people. While the sentence in question asserted “all men are created equal” and possess “unalienable rights,” the Founders “consciously and intentionally” excluded women, Native Americans, and enslaved people. And yet the sentence is powerful, Isaacson writes, because it names a young nation’s “aspirations.” He mounts a solid defense of what ought to be shared goals, among them economic fairness, “moral compassion,” and a willingness to compromise. “Democracy depends on this,” he writes. Isaacson is excellent when explaining how Enlightenment intellectuals abroad influenced the founders. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Declaration’s “five-person drafting committee,” stayed in David Hume’s home for a month in the early 1770s, “discussing ideas of natural rights” with the Scottish philosopher. Also strong is Isaacson’s discussion of the “edits and tweaks” made to Jefferson’s draft. As recommended by Franklin and others, the changes were substantial, leaving Jefferson “distraught.” Franklin, who emerges as the book’s hero, helped establish municipal services, founded a library, and encouraged religious diversity—the kind of civic-mindedness that we could use more of today, Isaacson reminds us.
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781982181314
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.
Portraits in a post-pandemic world.
After the Covid-19 lockdowns left New York City’s streets empty, many claimed that the city was “gone forever.” It was those words that inspired Stanton, whose previous collections include Humans of New York (2013), Humans of New York: Stories (2015), and Humans (2020), to return to the well once more for a new love letter to the city’s humanity and diversity. Beautifully laid out in hardcover with crisp, bright images, each portrait of a New Yorker is accompanied by sparse but potent quotes from Stanton’s interviews with his subjects. Early in the book, the author sequences three portraits—a couple laughing, then looking serious, then the woman with tears in her eyes—as they recount the arc of their relationship, transforming each emotional beat of their story into an affecting visual narrative. In another, an unhoused man sits on the street, his husky eating out of his hand. The caption: “I’m a late bloomer.” Though the pandemic isn’t mentioned often, Stanton focuses much of the book on optimistic stories of the post-pandemic era. Among the most notable profiles is Myles Smutney, founder of the Free Store Project, whose story of reclaiming boarded‑up buildings during the lockdowns speaks to the city’s resilience. In reusing the same formula from his previous books, the author confirms his thesis: New York isn’t going anywhere. As he writes in his lyrical prologue, “Just as one might dive among coral reefs to marvel at nature, one can come to New York City to marvel at humanity.” The book’s optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope.
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781250277589
Page Count: 480
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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