Black on the Block: The Politics of Race and Class in the City. By Mary Pattillo. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. 400p. $29.00.

In her book, Mary Pattillo sets out to lay to rest any notion that there is a unitary political agenda binding all blacks to a common political cause. She accomplishes this goal by thoroughly dismantling the well-worn but persistent myth of a “black community” that speaks in one voice. She is not the first to discredit that hoary notion, but her book is likely to become the most effective and influential work to do so. The main reason for this may be that she brings a subtlety to her argument that goes far beyond mere critique. Her analysis is both more nuanced and ultimately more positive than any previous statement in the literature.