William Julius Wilson

I got the opportunity to hear William Julius Wilson speak at the University of Chicago this week (on the topic of “Race in the Age of Obama”).  Back in the day, as an undergrad sociologist at UCHICAGO, I read quite a few of WJW’s classic books.  I’d recommend:

• The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy
• The Declining Significance of Race:  Blacks and Changing American Institutions
• When Work Disappears : The World of the New Urban Poor

Side note:  Wilson mentioned that he was ecstatic to learn that Season 2 of The Wire was based loosely on “When Work Disappears”.