The New World of Welfare, edited by Rebecca Blank and Ron Haskins, is an intense and thorough examination of all facets of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996. This bipartisan act was the most sweeping welfare reform ever. It was also widely criticized and clouded with controversy. Among the many items stirring debate was the five-year time limit imposed on the benefits, the level of funding devoted to child care, and the requirements meant to reduce out-of-wedlock births.