History Of Windham County, Connecticut Book

An interesting, light, moderately repetitive collection of essays by sociologist Reed, who evinces more of a sense of humour than one expects from members of his profession.

For the most part, he is primarily interested in defining Southern identity, and, in a pleasantly anecdotal way, exploring how the South has struggled to preserve that identity in the face of urbanization, Northern immigration, and the growing power of mass media. The collection dates from 1993, and the essays are earlier still, so his information is not up-to-date, but I don't think the various problems he discusses have changed very much---apart from growing worse.