Bowling Alone: Revised and Updated

The Collapse and Revival of American Community

By: Robert D. Putnam

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

*The basis for the documentary Join or Die—now streaming on Netflix!*

Updated to include a new chapter about the influence of social media and the Internet—the 20th anniversary edition of Bowling Alone remains a seminal work of social analysis, and its examination of what happened to our sense of community remains more relevant than ever in today’s fractured America.

Twenty years, ago, Robert D. Putnam made a seemingly simple observation: once we bowled in leagues, usually after work; but no longer. This seemingly small phenomenon symbolized a significant social change that became the basis of the acclaimed bestseller, Bowling Alone, which The Washington Post called “a very important book” and Putnam, “the de Tocqueville of our generation.”

Bowling Alone surveyed in detail Americans’ changing behavior over the decades, showing how we had become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and social structures, whether it’s with the PTA, church, clubs, political parties, or bowling leagues. In the revised edition of his classic work, Putnam shows how our shrinking access to the “social capital” that is the reward of communal activity and community sharing still poses a serious threat to our civic and personal health, and how these consequences have a new resonance for our divided country today. He includes critical new material on the pervasive influence of social media and the internet, which has introduced previously unthinkable opportunities for social connection—as well as unprecedented levels of alienation and isolation.

At the time of its publication, Putnam’s then-groundbreaking work showed how social bonds are the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction, and how the loss of social capital is felt in critical ways, acting as a strong predictor of crime rates and other measures of neighborhood quality of life, and affecting our health in other ways. While the ways in which we connect, or become disconnected, have changed over the decades, his central argument remains as powerful and urgent as ever: mending our frayed social capital is key to preserving the very fabric of our society.

I wonder what he would think about TikTok

In all seriousness, this is an excellent book. For others requesting a more updated version I have one question for you: what do you expect the findings to be? Obviously, things have gotten exponentially worse.

As a Gen Z who grew up in the rural southeast, non-religious civic clubs are more or less dead. What makes it worse is that Evangelical churches don’t do much to focus on life here on earth (and in many ways resign themselves from community involvement) because of the belief that the otherworldly afterlife is more important.

Some readers might cite Kevin MacDonald’s Culture of Critique for explanations of why social cohesion has rapidly declined since 1965, but I believe there is a heavy technological influence that started first with TV, and was amplified through the introduction of the smartphone. Family time, marriage rates, and even participation in dating have all taken a serious hit in recent decades. Although this book may seem pessimistic to some, I think readers can gain some insights into how a positive and engaged community could be created.

New edition!

This is such widely sourced material, I highly encourage the completion of an updated edition that would include the impact the development of digital social media has had on society, as well as legislation that increases the importance of capital in our political system, as opposed to minimizing that importance as the author argues for in this great work.

Enlightening, but Dry

Expert analysis of the reduction of social capital, but very dry. Still a classic work.

Important Work / Audio Challenge

A well-researched work that is very important in this area of research. Audio gripe: the pairing of this narrator with the mic that was used yields a production that is a tough listen in the car… too lower-mid-rangy which fails to stand out above typical car motion drone. This needs to be re-recorded at some point.

An excellent and insightful read

Valuable research into community through a lens of history, tradition, technology, and war. Definitely worth the read.