In a climate of culture wars and tremendous economic uncertainty, America is often reduced to a simplistic schism between red states and blue states. In response to that oversimplification, journalist Dante Chinni teamed up with political geographer James Gimpel to launch the Patchwork Nation project, using on-the-ground reporting and statistical analysis to get past generalizations and probe American communities in depth. The result is Our Patchwork Nation, a refreshing, sometimes startling look at how America's diversities often defy conventional wisdom.

Looking at the data, they recognized that the country breaks into 12 distinct types of communities, and old categories like "soccer mom" and "working class" don't matter as much as we think. These communities include:

• Boom Towns
• Evangelical Epicenters
• Military Bastions
• Service Worker Centers
• Campus and Careers
• Immigration Nation
• Minority Central
• Tractor Community
• Mormon Outposts
• Emptying Nests
• Industrial Metropolises
• Monied Burbs

By examining these populations, the authors demonstrate that the subtle distinctions in how Americans vote, invest, shop, and otherwise behave reflect what they experience on their local streets and in their daily lives. Our Patchwork Nation is a brilliant new way to debate and examine the issues that matter most to our communities - and to our nation.