Putnam, Robert D., Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.

In a groundbreaking book based on vast new data, Putnam shows how we have become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and our democratic structures-- and how we may reconnect. Putnam warns that our stock of social capital - the very fabric of our connections with each other, has plummeted, impoverishing our lives and communities.