Book · 1986 · Social Science
Common Ground
A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Why people recommend it
Common Ground by J. Anthony Lukas is an extensive, Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction chronicle examining racial tensions and school busing in Boston through the lives of several working-class families. Christopher Caldwell recommended the work on The Ezra Klein Show during the episode titled Will Iran Break Trumpism, which was broadcast on March 27, 2026. As part of sharing his top three book recommendations, Caldwell named it when discussing politics, stating that if he had to choose the single best political book, this would likely be it. He reflected on its subject matter concerning busing in Boston, noting that it holds a particularly vivid place in his memory as the very first political event he could recall experiencing from his childhood.
Who recommended it
- Christopher Caldwell Recommended
Christopher Caldwell — 1 mention
“Since we’re talking about politics, I think if you ask me to name the best political book, it would probably be j. Anthony lukas’s common ground, which is a book about busing in Boston and which is the first political event that I have any memory of from being a child.”