First published 2002
Robert Reich, economist and former Labor Secretary, tackles a troubling paradox in American life. While incomes have reached record highs, people find themselves trapped in longer work hours, disconnected from family, and watching their communities dissolve. Reich argues that our expanded choices as consumers and investors have come at a devastating cost to personal stability and social cohesion. Workers face constant uncertainty about their future earnings, unable to predict what they might make next year or even next month. Meanwhile, society fractures into isolated economic tiers where the wealthy retreat behind gates and walls while the poor remain invisible and forgotten. Reich demonstrates how these powerful trends, though not permanent, threaten the fabric of American society. He offers concrete proposals for creating better balance between professional success and personal fulfillment, presenting ideas that challenge conventional wisdom about work and community.
Genres: business, politics, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary
Setting: America, United States
Period: 21st Century
304 pages · Paperback · Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group