Over the last few years, we've seen a number of interesting and perhaps even important books

that explore the theme of American dissolution and the hollowing out of American society.

Tim Carney's alienated America, Ben Sasses them. Charles Murray's

coming apart, Robert Putnam's Our Kids, Rod Dreher's Benedict Option, and J.D. Vance's

hillbilly elegy represent a pretty wide spectrum. From the political left to the political right,

the authors are drawn from the worlds of journalism and social science, the Academy, the Senate.

All of them point to the ascent in America of the individual, unmoored from social restraints,

and they point to the erosion of community as one of the explanatory factors behind America's troubles.

I have to say that I find myself sympathetic to this line of thinking,

and if anyone knows the virtues of living in a thick community, it's the traditionalist American Jewish communities

that are centered around synagogues and literally transform each Shabbat into havens of

connection, where human relationships are strengthened over walks to the shul and over long,

unhurried lunches.

Today we look at a book that is responding to a similar set of concerns, the excessive individualism

of contemporary American life, but our guest responds in a rather more political vernacular,

arguing that American individualism has corroded the institutions of our shared life.

And if you hope for an American renewal, it's the building of institutions that should frame your thinking.

Welcome to the Tikva podcast. I'm your host, Jonathan Silver. A time to build, from family and community to Congress and the campus,

how recommitting to our institutions

can revive the American Dream was published just this week by Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise

Institute. He's our guests on today's show. I know we had Yuval on just a few short weeks ago

to help us remember the legacy of Gertrude Himmelfar, but we thought that this book, a time to build, is such an important book, an interesting

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