First published 1989
Confronting the fear of downward mobility, Barbara Ehrenreich's "Fear of Falling" dives into the anxieties of the professional middle class. From the liberal elites of the 1960s to the yuppies of the 1980s, this incisive work examines how the American dream has become a fragile illusion, threatened by economic instability and cultural shifts. Blending personal anecdotes with sharp social commentary, Ehrenreich uncovers the psychological toll of maintaining status and privilege in a rapidly changing society. Candid and provocative, this book lays bare the hidden insecurities that haunt the educated, ambitious middle class – a class that wields significant influence, yet remains vulnerable to the tides of fortune.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, class, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic, cultural-studies
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-anecdotes, social-commentary
Setting: United States
416 pages · Paperback