Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2015 - Social & Behavioral Sciences — Economics — African and African American Studies

A harsh, undeniable fact about US society is that socioeconomic status is stratified by race and ethnicity.  The contribution of economists to the study of the contentious issues of race and ethnicity has been minimalthat is, until OFlaherty (economics, Columbia Univ.) crafted this pathbreaking study that shows how racial differences among blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asian Americans remain a powerful determinant in the lives of 21st-century Americans.  The author should be praised for striking a fine balance of applied economic theory and empirical analysis of the US Census to explore and analyze socioeconomic status by intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender.  All relevant topics are covered in the book, including gaps in education, income, employment, health, and levels of incarceration.  Because racial inequality continues in the 21st century, and renewed racial tensions are actually simmering, this book is undoubtedly timely and the must-read text for anyone in the social sciences interested in surveying the economics of race and racism in the US.Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates and above.