And the Survey Says...

Especially in an election year, there's no shortage of people proclaiming who the American people are and why they will vote this way or that. Our ages, family structures, religious affiliations, and incomes are sucked up by campaign pollsters and spit out again in tidy bundles with catchy names (oh, soccer moms, we hardly knew ye). In media reports, people of faith have grown accustomed to being divvied up between political parties like players in a giant game of Red Rover (culture wars edition).

But of course, not all surveys and studies are about someone's campaign strategy. Here are a few books that offer fresh insights into Americans as believers (and nonbelievers), citizens, and neighbors.