Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” is a classic of social science, charting the dramatic decline in American civic engagement and social capital from the 1960s through the 1990s. Putnam marshals a wealth of data—membership in civic organizations, church attendance, union participation, and even the number of people bowling in leagues (hence the title)—to argue that Americans have become increasingly disconnected from one another.

Key statistics include a 58% drop in participation in club meetings, a 43% decline in family dinners, and a 35% decrease in having friends over, all between 1975 and 1995. Putnam links these trends to the rise of television, suburbanization, longer work hours, and generational change. He warns that the erosion of social capital undermines trust, cooperation, and the health of democracy itself: “The single most common finding from a half-century’s research on civic engagement is that life is better in communities with high social capital.”

Putnam’s core concepts—bonding and bridging social capital—have become foundational in sociology and policy debates. Bonding capital refers to close ties within groups (like family or close friends), while bridging capital connects people across social divides. The book’s influence is vast, shaping discussions of everything from education to public health.

Critics have noted that Putnam’s nostalgia for a lost era can overlook the exclusionary aspects of mid-century American institutions, and that his analysis predates the rise of the internet and new forms of digital community. Still, “Bowling Alone” remains a touchstone for understanding the challenges of rebuilding community in a fragmented age.

The most valuable chapter may be the final one, where Putnam details his quantitative and qualitative methods, offering transparency and rigor that have made the book a staple in undergraduate policy courses. While some of its arguments are now dated, the book’s central question—how can we restore the social fabric?—is as urgent as ever.