In our kids robert putnam offers a personal and authoritative look at this new american crisis beginning with the example of his high school class of 1959 in port clinton ohio the vast majority of those students went on to lives better than those of their parents but their children and grandchildren have faced diminishing prospects putnam tells the tale of lessening opportunity through poignant life stories of rich middle class and poor kids from cities and suburbs across the country . At the end of the book putnam does present a few ways that we can try to change this situation but the solution is by no means clear or straightforward it seems that the real solution required it a complete shift in attitude in society as a whole as putnam says we need to recognize that all of the kids of america are our kids there is a responsibility for everyone to look out for and support children regardless of their background and regardless of what background they come from. Americans have always believed in equality of opportunity the idea that all kids regardless of their family background should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life now this central tenet of the american dream seems no longer true or at the least much less true than it was robert putnam about whom the economist said his scholarship is wide ranging his intelligence . We americans have always believed that those who have talent and try hard will succeed but this central tenet of the american dream seems no longer true or at the least much less true than it