The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

The Address Book is a work of nonfiction written by Deidre Mask and published in 2020. The book explores the history, cultural significance, and social implications of street names and addresses around the world. Mask is a lawyer, writer, and academic who has taught at Harvard and the London School of Economics; the book reflects this diverse background, incorporating a wide variety of academic fields and frameworks. Throughout the book, Mask blends historical research, personal anecdotes, and interviews to create her narrative. She encourages readers to reflect on the social and political implications of addresses, challenging our assumptions about how addresses shape our lives and societies.

This study guide uses the 2020 hardcover edition published by St. Martin’s Press. Certain sections of the book originally appeared as essays in The Guardian, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, and are available online.

Plot Summary

The Introduction to The Address Book establishes the book’s central question: Why do street addresses matter? Mask began researching this question after learning that, globally, most households do not have a formal street address. Mask’s research on the campaign to formalize street names in West Virginia inspired her to find more stories of people fighting to establish, change, or resist street names.