Perfect Communities by Edward Berenson is an excellent deep dive into how and why suburban living became both so common and so exclusive.

Many readers will be familiar with some aspects of this story. William Levitt and Levittown will ring bells if you've read or studied much social or cultural history, the story of the Myers family, the first Black family to move into a Levittown, will also sound familiar. Both, and several other stories within this larger narrative, were likely small portions of a larger whole, whether a previous book or a course. They are woven together here into a tight history that highlights both the positive ideas behind these housing communities (large numbers of affordable housing where such housing was needed) and the negative aspects (the exclusivity of these communities, excluding Blacks and often Jews). Everything is presented in a balanced way, offering the reasons behind everything even when still condemning the acts.

Everyone has their own preferred type of reading material but this is quite accessible if the topic(s) interest you. This is a story comprised of multiple stories, so there is plenty of narrative for a nonfiction book, but if you're looking for something more like a popular fiction read you may not enjoy having to consider ideas along with the stories. While not academic in tone it also isn't a light popular nonfiction work either, so you do have to actually engage with the material while reading. It isn't meant to entertain you but is an enjoyable read.

Recommended for readers with an interest in 20th century social history as well as those who simply enjoy learning about the way things have developed that has brought us to this point in time.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

Perfect Communities gives you the inside scoop on William Levitt and the rise of the suburbs. It's a interesting look at how his mass-housing changed America. The book really digs into the impact of his policies, especially racial exclusion, and how that continues to affect housing and wealth today. I will say, the book can be pretty dense at times, which makes it feel a bit like a textbook. Regardless, I learned a lot and found it really informative about how the problem with housing originated. Thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity to give my honest review.

Wow! Every once in a while I find a book that just amazes me. This books is FANTASTIC! I love learning new (to me) historical facts. The title intrigued me and reminded me of my favorite movie with Johnny Depp; "Edward Scissorhands." If you're familiar with the movie, every house is a cookie cutter house. They all look the same, the wives are the same, the husbands are the same. This concept is reflected in this book.

The author did an excellent job with research as it pertains to this topic. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures that were in the book. I liked being able to visualize the houses. It was surprising to me that Levitt and his towns promoted segregation. The story of Daisy and Bill Myers was heartbreaking. (some parts of their story might be triggering)

All in all, I think the author did an excellent job writing this book. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect Communities is a thoughtful dive into the history of Levittown and how it came to represent the postwar American Dream, especially for white families. The author does a good job explaining how these planned suburbs weren’t just about homes and picket fences, but about race, class, and who got to belong in “perfect” communities. There’s a lot of interesting info on how the Levitts marketed their developments and how the public responded, and the book really helps you understand the appeal and the darker side of suburban growth in the U.S.

That said, the writing can get a bit dry and academic at times, which might make it a slower read for some. It also tends to repeat some points and doesn't always bring much new to the table, especially when it comes to the racial and social critiques.. which are important, but could’ve been explored with more depth or originality.

Overall, it's a solid book if you’re into suburban history or housing policy, but it might not be the most exciting read for everyone. Worth checking out, but probably not a must-read unless you're already interested in the topic.

In Perfect Communities, Edward Berenson offers a well-researched and balanced account of William Levitt, the entrepreneur whose innovations in mass housing construction helped define postwar suburban America. Berenson provides a thoughtful examination of Levitt’s racial exclusion policies within the broader context of mid-20th-century segregation, and he illuminates their long-term consequences for housing inequality and racial wealth disparity in the United States. Levitt had an early recognition of the geographic disconnect between affordable housing and employment centers, which is a tension that continues to underlie America’s housing crisis. Berenson effectively demonstrates how Levitt’s ambitions, though often curtailed by war, economic shifts, or corporate disinterest, foreshadowed enduring structural problems in urban planning.

Despite these strengths, the book suffers from a lack of narrative cohesion to keep it interesting. While Perfect Communities is a valuable contribution to the history of suburbanization, it feels more like a textbook than casual reading, which is fine if you mainly just want the information, but I often want something more to keep me interested.