http://www.powells.com/blog Authors, readers, critics, media — and booksellers. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:42:30 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16528 Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America by Rich Benjamin

Reviewed by Darryl Lorenzo Wellington
The Wilson Quarterly

Between 2007 and 2009, the young African-American political commentator Rich Benjamin spent much of his time living a suburban fantasy -- posing as a home buyer researching high-end properties, living in fashionable condominiums and gated communities, and studying with professional trainers to sharpen his golf game. His foray into enclaves of wealth and comfort might seem a mere vacation if it weren't also a sociological study. "Statistics can tell you only so much," he explains at the outset. "Understanding the spirit of a people and the essence of a place requires firsthand experience."
http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16527 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16461 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16451 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16434 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16433 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16370 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16419 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16374 http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=16350