Talking Affirmative Action takes a fresh look at affirmative action from the perspective of young white men on both sides of the issue. Through a nuanced examination of how advocates' and opponents' viewpoints overlap and diverge, Lipson links the controversy over affirmative action to perennial tensions between competing models of individualism, and of communitarian accountability, at the core of America's "traditional values." The book concludes with some provocative commentary on the future of affirmative action in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2003 decisions in favor of "holistic assessment."