George W. Bush once said that America was the land of second chances. In this fascinating dissection of the concept, David Newman shows that the situation is much more complicated than that. This analysis could not be better timed as America has never been more in need of a bit of redemption as a society.

Shadd Maruna, Chair of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool; author of Making Good: How Ex-Convicts Reform and Rebuild Their Lives

Schadenfreude and second chances. The delight we take in the misfortunes and misdeeds of others is bested only by the thrill of seeing them rise above the circumstances that brought them down in the first place. Ranging from everyday triumphs over personal set-backs to the celebrated comebacks of celebrities, athletes, politicians, and even corporations, A Culture of Second Chances: The Promise, Practice, and Price of Starting Over in Everyday Life is packed with engaging stories that reveal our deep personal and cultural investments in the “do-over.” David Newman offers up a compelling social psychology of the ubiquity of personal and social redemption. Against this backdrop, his analysis of those who are deemed undeserving of a second chance—those who suffer permanent stigma—shows us the intricacies of how social privilege really works.

Jodi O'Brien, Seattle University, author of The Production of Reality