Laskas writes in her introduction, “Who are the people who pick our vegetables, grow our beef, haul our stuff to the marketplace, make our trash disappear? Moreover, how did that become such a difficult question to answer?” Hidden America takes on that difficulty, as Laskas embeds with coal miners, air traffic controllers, migrant farm workers, truckers—groups of people who enable every aspect of our lifestyle and are never seen, never known. The New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist makes tangible the frozen isolation of an Alaskan oil rig, sunbaked rural Texas where old west meets Walmart. Yet more than showing the invisible workings of the beef trade or an Arizona gun store, Laskas reveals the people. Each segment becomes a portrait of the individuals who do this work, highlighting their energy, struggles, intelligence. It may not always seem glamorous to the outsider, but the heart of Hidden America is a deep respect for the vital human element that powers this nation.