Book review of Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis, and Melissa Osborne, (Eds.), Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005. $35.00 hardcover

Nackerud, Larry

English

ScholarWorks at WMU

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 33 Issue 3 September Article 11 2006 Review of Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis and Melissa Osborne Groves. (Eds.). Reviewed by Larry Nackerud. Larry Nackerud University of Georgia Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw  Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Nackerud, Larry (2006) "Review of Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis and Melissa Osborne Groves. (Eds.). Reviewed by Larry Nackerud.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 33 : Iss. 3 , Article 11. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol33/iss3/11 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Social Work at ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu. Book Reviews 175They paint a picture of housing units where residents wereheld to firm rules, but also took great pride in their units andtheir complexes, planting flower gardens, tending one anoth-er's children, and feeling a true sense of a community boundtogether by the dream of a better life in America. For most ofthese tenants, their life in public housing was vastly superiorto their dwellings prior to being approved by the CHA.This is a compelling look at the lives of working-classChicago residents, many of whom went on to great success,which they attribute in large part to the environment of publichousing in the 1940s-60s. The book is quite moving by virtueof its use of interviews with residents. For a reader raised withthe media image of big-city congregate public housing as ahotbed of drugs, gangs, and violence, these portrayals of anidyllic era are quite enlightening.Fuerst offers an excellent and highly analytical look atthe reasons for the failures and successes of Chicago publichousing over the last half century; he points out current proj-ects in other cities that still abide by careful tenant screening,skilled management, and community development activitiesthat characterized the CHA in the past. This book stronglymakes the point that poverty is an economic condition, not astatement of character or ability. We must remember this whenour current public housing policy seems to be more focused onintegrating the poor into other socioeconomic classes (anotherway of saying that we must separate them from one anotherdue to a dysfunctional "culture") and abandoning any notionof staff and resident responsibility and accountability for theirhomes and their lives.John Q. HodgesUniversity of Missouri-ColumbiaSamuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis, and Melissa Osborne, (Eds.),Unequal Chances: Family Background and EconomicSuccess. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005.$35.00 hardcover.Bowles, Gintis and Osborne have recruited a strong arrayof economic scholars to compile an impressive book focused176 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfareon family background and the part it plays, or does not play, ineconomic success. In addition, the book includes a heavy doseof philosophy about social justice and what part the familyplays in creating, sustaining, or advancing economic advan-tage, to the loss and gain of other families.The reader is informed that the book results from a numberof papers presented at a workshop held at the Santa Fe Institute.At a minimum, the workshop must have been a stimulatingacademic event. The chapters in the book that emanate fromthose revised papers are not only thought provoking, theyare thought perplexing. Is the book a tough read, particularlyfor non-economists? It most certainly is. Is the book a worthyread, for economists and non-economists, alike? It most cer-tainly is.The book is structured in a fairly traditional manner. Thethree editors, Bowles, Gintis, and Groves expertly execute theintroduction. Nine chapters follow and each has a solid focuson intergenerational transmission of economic success. Whilea majority of the chapters, and material in the book, seem tohave a domestic U.S. focus there are two chapters that specifi-cally speak to the book's central theme, but place the discus-sion in China and Sweden. The chapters of the book form acoherent whole and together provide the reader with mean-ingful dialogue about the book's overall theme. It is, however,up to the reader to maintain an awareness of this theme, sincethe individual chapters sometimes become minutely focusedon a particular variable, like the transmission of personalitytraits. Individual chapters often relate to the previous chapterand provide the reader with an easy extension of thought. Agood example is the first two chapters which are appropriatelytitled, "The Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Tree," and "TheApple Falls Even Closer to the Tree than We Thought."The book has a number of strengths, not the least of whichis that it is a very scholarly production. Claims made in theseparate chapters are presented with clarity and are well sub-stantiated. When results of analyses are provided, they are ac-companied with information about the source of data on whichthe analysis is based, the format of the analysis, and both thestrengths and shortcomings of the data. Hertz's chapter, titledRags, Riches, and Race: The Intergenerational Economic MobilityBook Reviews 177of Black and White Families in the United States, and Groves'chapter on Personality and the Intergenerational Transmissionof Economic Status exemplify this strength. Consistent withthe highest achievement of scholarly academic dialogue, theauthors do not force the reader into a conclusion. They putforward thoughtful questions and conclude by letting thereader enjoy the perplexity of the questions and the pursu-ant discussion. No author does this better than Swift in thefinal chapter in the book, titled Justice, Luck, and the Family:The Intergenerational Transmission of Economic Advantage Froma Normative Perspective. Swift asks the reader to consider thequestion of what is legitimate and what is morally required ofparents who are concerned both for the creation of advantagefor their children within a family structure and what is legiti-mate and morally required of parents who aspire to uphold aRawlsian sense of social justice. It is perplexing for the readerto consider if a balance can be struck? The author even asksthe reader to deliberate about whether social policy to limit orexpand a family's opportunities for advantage intrudes intothe sacred sphere of "family life."The book has few weaknesses. However, readers need tobe prepared, particularly non-economists, to slog on throughsome dense material. Not every reader will appreciate thebook's reliance on the secondary analysis of large data sets,the use of multi-variate analysis, and economic modeling.Nevertheless, the overall theme of the book is highly appeal-ing to a broad audience of social scientists and students in thebehavioral and social sciences, but the book's technical knowl-edge requirements may limit its appeal. However, the bookstimulates thought and discussion. As stated by the editors inthe book's introduction, the volume is "optimistic concerningthe power of social policy to enhance equality of opportuni-ty." If asked, it appears the authors of the chapters could addthe caveat "yes, but only with good data, extensive analysis,and the inclusion of a process of dialogue, academic dialoguepreferred."Larry NackerudUniversity of Georgia

Review of \u3cem\u3eUnequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success.\u3c/em\u3e Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis and Melissa Osborne Groves. (Eds.). Reviewed by Larry Nackerud.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 
Volume 33 
Issue 3 September Article 11 
2006 
Review of Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic 
Success. Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis and Melissa Osborne 
Groves. (Eds.). Reviewed by Larry Nackerud. 
Larry Nackerud 
University of Georgia 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw 
 Part of the Social Work Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Nackerud, Larry (2006) "Review of Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success. Samuel 
Bowles, Herbert Gintis and Melissa Osborne Groves. (Eds.). Reviewed by Larry Nackerud.," The Journal of 
Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 33 : Iss. 3 , Article 11. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol33/iss3/11 
This Book Review is brought to you by the Western 
Michigan University School of Social Work. For more 
information, please contact wmu-
scholarworks@wmich.edu. 
Book Reviews 175
They paint a picture of housing units where residents were
held to firm rules, but also took great pride in their units and
their complexes, planting flower gardens, tending one anoth-
er's children, and feeling a true sense of a community bound
together by the dream of a better life in America. For most of
these tenants, their life in public housing was vastly superior
to their dwellings prior to being approved by the CHA.
This is a compelling look at the lives of working-class
Chicago residents, many of whom went on to great success,
which they attribute in large part to the environment of public
housing in the 1940s-60s. The book is quite moving by virtue
of its use of interviews with residents. For a reader raised with
the media image of big-city congregate public housing as a
hotbed of drugs, gangs, and violence, these portrayals of an
idyllic era are quite enlightening.
Fuerst offers an excellent and highly analytical look at
the reasons for the failures and successes of Chicago public
housing over the last half century; he points out current proj-
ects in other cities that still abide by careful tenant screening,
skilled management, and community development activities
that characterized the CHA in the past. This book strongly
makes the point that poverty is an economic condition, not a
statement of character or ability. We must remember this when
our current public housing policy seems to be more focused on
integrating the poor into other socioeconomic classes (another
way of saying that we must separate them from one another
due to a dysfunctional "culture") and abandoning any notion
of staff and resident responsibility and accountability for their
homes and their lives.
John Q. Hodges
University of Missouri-Columbia
Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis, and Melissa Osborne, (Eds.),
Unequal Chances: Family Background and Economic
Success. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005.
$35.00 hardcover.
Bowles, Gintis and Osborne have recruited a strong array
of economic scholars to compile an impressive book focused
176 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
on family background and the part it plays, or does not play, in
economic success. In addition, the book includes a heavy dose
of philosophy about social justice and what part the family
plays in creating, sustaining, or advancing economic advan-
tage, to the loss and gain of other families.
The reader is informed that the book results from a number
of papers presented at a workshop held at the Santa Fe Institute.
At a minimum, the workshop must have been a stimulating
academic event. The chapters in the book that emanate from
those revised papers are not only thought provoking, they
are thought perplexing. Is the book a tough read, particularly
for non-economists? It most certainly is. Is the book a worthy
read, for economists and non-economists, alike? It most cer-
tainly is.
The book is structured in a fairly traditional manner. The
three editors, Bowles, Gintis, and Groves expertly execute the
introduction. Nine chapters follow and each has a solid focus
on intergenerational transmission of economic success. While
a majority of the chapters, and material in the book, seem to
have a domestic U.S. focus there are two chapters that specifi-
cally speak to the book's central theme, but place the discus-
sion in China and Sweden. The chapters of the book form a
coherent whole and together provide the reader with mean-
ingful dialogue about the book's overall theme. It is, however,
up to the reader to maintain an awareness of this theme, since
the individual chapters sometimes become minutely focused
on a particular variable, like the transmission of personality
traits. Individual chapters often relate to the previous chapter
and provide the reader with an easy extension of thought. A
good example is the first two chapters which are appropriately
titled, "The Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Tree," and "The
Apple Falls Even Closer to the Tree than We Thought."
The book has a number of strengths, not the least of which
is that it is a very scholarly production. Claims made in the
separate chapters are presented with clarity and are well sub-
stantiated. When results of analyses are provided, they are ac-
companied with information about the source of data on which
the analysis is based, the format of the analysis, and both the
strengths and shortcomings of the data. Hertz's chapter, titled
Rags, Riches, and Race: The Intergenerational Economic Mobility
Book Reviews 177
of Black and White Families in the United States, and Groves'
chapter on Personality and the Intergenerational Transmission
of Economic Status exemplify this strength. Consistent with
the highest achievement of scholarly academic dialogue, the
authors do not force the reader into a conclusion. They put
forward thoughtful questions and conclude by letting the
reader enjoy the perplexity of the questions and the pursu-
ant discussion. No author does this better than Swift in the
final chapter in the book, titled Justice, Luck, and the Family:
The Intergenerational Transmission of Economic Advantage From
a Normative Perspective. Swift asks the reader to consider the
question of what is legitimate and what is morally required of
parents who are concerned both for the creation of advantage
for their children within a family structure and what is legiti-
mate and morally required of parents who aspire to uphold a
Rawlsian sense of social justice. It is perplexing for the reader
to consider if a balance can be struck? The author even asks
the reader to deliberate about whether social policy to limit or
expand a family's opportunities for advantage intrudes into
the sacred sphere of "family life."
The book has few weaknesses. However, readers need to
be prepared, particularly non-economists, to slog on through
some dense material. Not every reader will appreciate the
book's reliance on the secondary analysis of large data sets,
the use of multi-variate analysis, and economic modeling.
Nevertheless, the overall theme of the book is highly appeal-
ing to a broad audience of social scientists and students in the
behavioral and social sciences, but the book's technical knowl-
edge requirements may limit its appeal. However, the book
stimulates thought and discussion. As stated by the editors in
the book's introduction, the volume is "optimistic concerning
the power of social policy to enhance equality of opportuni-
ty." If asked, it appears the authors of the chapters could add
the caveat "yes, but only with good data, extensive analysis,
and the inclusion of a process of dialogue, academic dialogue
preferred."
Larry Nackerud
University of Georgia


https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3188&amp;context=jssw

Review of \u3cem\u3eUnequal Chances: Family Background and Economic Success.\u3c/em\u3e Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis and Melissa Osborne Groves. (Eds.). Reviewed by Larry Nackerud.

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