Compared to other industrialized nations, the United States is losing ground across nearly every indicator of social health. Its race problem, argues Porter, is largely to blame. He shows how racial animus has stunted the development of nearly every institution crucial for a healthy society, including organized labor, public education, and the social safety net. The consequences are profound and are only growing graver with time. Porter pieces together how racial hostility has blocked American social cohesion at every turn, producing a nation that fails not only its black and brown citizens but white Americans as well. -- adapted from jacket.

American Poison -- Social Insurance for Whites -- From Welfare to Prison -- The Black and the Brown -- The Suffering of White America -- Tearing Ourselves Apart -- The Future.