American Dreams, American Nightmares

“Horowitz’s book provides an original contribution to the literature by navigating the cultural representations of home in different forms of media in a time of severe crisis. Its core strength lies in its ability to combine wide ra[n]ging empirical material into a coherent narrative by making use of an interdisciplinary approach. His lucid style renders the book a pleasant read, not only for experts in the field but also for a wider audience interested in the housing question in the contemporary United States and the failed promises of the American Dream.”—Contemporary Sociology

“Horowitz takes readers through a deep dive into the history and culture of residential real estate in the United States. . . . This book offers a distinctive contribution to housing studies by combining the Great Recession with the COVID-19 housing crisis and situating them within a larger historical framework. . . . . The work provides an interdisciplinary investigation from cultural anthropology, history, sociology, economics, and political science."—Journal of the American Planning Association

“Sharp and thoughtful . . . A good and provocative read. . . . Highly recommended.”—CHOICE

“An engaging book that should interest readers of the real estate and financial press as well as historians, social scientists, and others.”—Kenneth James Lipartito, coauthor of Corporate Responsibility: The American Experience

“Highly original and fascinating, Horowitz’s ambitious study not only provides an in-depth analysis of various kinds of homes and their inhabitants but also uses the home as a window into historical processes like the impact of the Great Recession and the rise of neoliberalism.”—Elaine Tyler May, author of Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era