John F. Wasik 
The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome 
Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream

An incisive look at the consequences of today’s costly and
damaging suburban lifestyle

In The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome, Bloomberg News’ John Wasik
exposes the economic, cultural, environmental, and health problems
underlying life in suburbia. Wasik provides powerful insights into
how the U.S. suburban lifestyle has become unsustainable and what
can be done to salvage it. His observations are firmly grounded in
exclusive on-the-ground research, interviews with thought leaders,
and the latest studies and statistics. The book

* Exposes the untold truths about suburban home ownership: green
isn’t always so green, life isn’t cheaper after accounting for gas,
water, and taxes, and modern suburban living isn’t so idyllic
considering the toll it takes on our health

* Includes exclusive research and analysis by experts in the
field that debunks the many myths associated with suburban
living

* Explores innovative solutions being developed in cities across
the country

The American Dream of moving further from a city to buy a bigger
house and find better schools has become a costly nightmare. The
Cul-de-Sac Syndrome examines why and what can be done.

Table of Content

Preface xi

Introduction: The Foundation Cracks 1

PART 1 A Dream Gone Bad 15

1 False Economics: American Dreamers in the Sunshine State
17

2 Origins of a Dream 27

3 How Debt Addiction Fed a Housing Crisis 39

4 Cul-de-Sac Nation: Symptoms of a Syndrome 55

5 The Spurbing of National Health 67

PART 2 Reinventing Home and Community 75

6 Toward Sustainable Dreams 77

7 Building Smarter 93

8 The Near Death of a Suburb 111

9 Reclaiming the Inner City 123

10 Sustainability and Development: Bridging the Gap 139

11 The Bill Comes Due: Which Places Will Prosper? 153

Epilogue: Cleaning Up, Moving On 171

Notes 175

Index 194

About the author

John F. Wasik is a personal finance columnist for Reuters
and the author of twelve other books including The Audacity of
Help: Obama’s Economic Plan and the Remaking of America. He has won
eighteen awards for his writing, speaks all over North America, and
has appeared on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX, CNN, Bloomberg TV/Radio,
PBS, NPR, and radio stations from Australia to Boston.

For more information, visit www.culdesacsyndrome.com