The Lies of the Land: Seeing Rural America for What It Is—and Isn't Available to Purchase

In The Lies of the Land: Seeing Rural America for What It Is—and Isn't, author Steven Conn claims to be debunking many a myth about rural America. First, he spends significant time discussing the fact that rural is virtually undefinable. Second, he argues that the idea of rural America being in crisis is utterly ridiculous. How can a place be in crisis if economic hardship is a perpetual state? Then, the author claims there is nothing unique about rural America, since it has been shaped by exactly the same forces as urban America: militarization, industrialization, corporatization, and suburbanization have influenced the development of both environments. The author illustrates these broad trends with a number of carefully chosen examples, such as the development of places like Killeen, Texas, which came in the wake of the placement of military installations. The author also spends a great deal of time discussing the...