Synopses & Reviews
Who we are, where we’ve been, and where we need to go now, to recapture the American dream Now with a new Foreword by the author
“The best presentation of the challenges facing the country — and the possible solutions — I've ever seen.” P. J. O’Rourke
Tom Brokaw, known and beloved for his landmark work in American journalism and for the New York Times bestsellers The Greatest Generation and Boom!, now turns his attention to the challenges that face America in the new millennium, to offer reflections on how we can restore America’s greatness.
Rooted in the values, lessons, and verities of generations past and of his South Dakota upbringing, Brokaw weaves together inspiring stories of Americans who are making a difference and personal stories from his own family history, to engage us in a conversation about our country and to share ideas for how we can revitalize the promise of the American Dream. Inviting us to foster a rebirth of family, community, and civic engagement as profound as the one that helped win World War II, built our postwar prosperity, and ushered in the Civil Rights era, Brokaw traces the exciting, unnerving changes in modern life — in values, education, public service, housing, the Internet, and more — that have transformed our society in the decades since the age of thrift in which he was raised. In offering ideas from Americans who are change agents in their communities, Brokaw gives us a nourishing vision of hopefulness in an age of diminished expectations.
New York Times Bestseller
“Inspiring tales of how people from different walks of life have found ways to be of service to their communities and country.” Walter Isaacson
Review
"With commonsense values, [Brokaw] appeals to Americans to recommit to family
and community, increase civic engagement, and make sacrifices in an effort to ensure some security for generations to come. An engaging recollection of the achievements of the past, the realities of the present, and the promise of the future." Booklist
Review
"[Brokaw] jumps into triage mode with this tenderhearted, nostalgic journalistic roundup, just in time for the upcoming presidential election....Brokaw is especially good at working the human-interest angle....An ever-upbeat message from the well-connected yet modest veteran journalist." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The public is open to [Brokaw's] call for expanding national service, and his advocacy could make a difference in public opinion and the legislative struggles to come." Washington Monthly
Review
"A valuable contribution to the national discourse and may just inspire some readers to go out and make a difference." Associated Press
Synopsis
Who we are, where we've been, and where we need to go now, to recapture the American dream
Now with a new Foreword by the author
"The best presentation of the challenges facing the country--and the possible solutions--I've ever seen."--P. J. O'Rourke
Tom Brokaw, known and beloved for his landmark work in American journalism and for the New York Times bestsellers The Greatest Generation and Boom , now turns his attention to the challenges that face America in the new millennium, to offer reflections on how we can restore America's greatness.
Rooted in the values, lessons, and verities of generations past and of his South Dakota upbringing, Brokaw weaves together inspiring stories of Americans who are making a difference and personal stories from his own family history, to engage us in a conversation about our country and to share ideas for how we can revitalize the promise of the American Dream. Inviting us to foster a rebirth of family, community, and civic engagement as profound as the one that helped win World War II, built our postwar prosperity, and ushered in the Civil Rights era, Brokaw traces the exciting, unnerving changes in modern life--in values, education, public service, housing, the Internet, and more--that have transformed our society in the decades since the age of thrift in which he was raised. In offering ideas from Americans who are change agents in their communities, Brokaw gives us a nourishing vision of hopefulness in an age of diminished expectations.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"Inspiring tales of how people from different walks of life have found ways to be of service to their communities and country."--Walter Isaacson
About the Author
Tom Brokaw is the author of five bestsellers: The Greatest Generation, The Greatest Generation Speaks, An Album of Memories, A Long Way From Home, and Boom! A native of South Dakota, he graduated from the University of South Dakota with a degree in political science. He joined NBC News in 1966, serving as the White House correspondent during Watergate and anchoring Today on NBC from 1976 to 1981. He was the sole anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw from 1983 to 2005. He continues to report for NBC News, producing award-winning long-form documentaries and providing expertise during breaking news events. Brokaw has won every major award in broadcast journalism, including two DuPonts, a Peabody, and several Emmys. He is a regular contributor to the op-ed pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and to Time, Newsweek, and Men’s Journal. He lives in New York and Montana.