Items related to The Good Life and its Discontents
Synopsis
One of the country's most influential commentators attempts to explain why the richest, most powerful, and most democratic nation in the world is overcome by self-doubt and confusion. Samuelson takes a penetrating look at why Americans feel so bad when they are really doing so well, and poses the crucial question: Can America's leaders restore confidence by curbing government that has promised more than it can deliver?
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ountry's most influential commentators attempts to explain why the richest, most powerful, and most democratic nation in the world is overcome by self-doubt and confusion. Samuelson takes a penetrating look at why Americans feel so bad when they are really doing so well, and poses the crucial question: Can America's leaders restore confidence by curbing government that has promised more than it can deliver?
Reviews
Samuelson, a syndicated columnist for Newsweek and the Washington Post, offers here a thoughtful exposition of a paradox: Americans feel pessimistic even as the country overall has prospered by most measures. His explanation is the concept of "entitlement," the American sensibility that "almost everyone deserves to succeed." And just as Americans have enjoyed the fruits of prosperity (consumer goods, etc.), they have accordingly demanded more of government. However, he warns, our economy cannot be managed as easily as some theorists say. Thus, "the politics of overpromise"?in which budget deficits, broadened "rights" such as equality and lobbyist gridlock?have led to bloated government. Samuelson's solution is a culture of greater responsibility. He suggests we raise the retirement age to crimp the costs of an aging America, and that all government benefits be "means tested" (limited by income). Otherwise, he cautions, we may not band together to fight pressing social problems involving race and poverty. Hearkening back to the early-20th-century progressive movement, Samuelson suggests that an interregnum, such as our era, is part of the cycle of history. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Columnist and economics commentator Samuelson (The Numbskull Factor, Times, 1993) asks why "a society that satisfies us most of the time has also convinced many of us that it's rolling inexorably toward the edge of a cliff." The reason for this "paradox," Samuelson argues, can be tied to the effect of "entitlements" on our lives; we believe we are guaranteed many things?healthcare, secure jobs, and safe living places?but the social and political realities of our lives contradict this. In determining what has turned the American Dream into a "fantasy," Samuelson refers to post-1929 American history, public opinion polls, economic theory and data, the beliefs of our Founding Fathers, corporate structure, and sociological research. He also discusses how civil rights and equality have become confused with each other and how American political leaders have created a huge budget deficit by separating costs from benefits. This is an unusually clear, cogently argued exploration of American values and the political institutions that have strayed from them. Essential for most libraries.?Jack Forman, Mesa Coll. Lib., San Diego
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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The Good Life and its Discontents
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The Good Life and its Discontents
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The Good Life and its Discontents
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Condition: Good. [ No Hassle 30 Day Returns ][ Ships Daily ] [ Underlining/Highlighting: NONE ] [ Writing: NONE ] [ Edition: first ] Publisher: Crown Pub Date: 12/26/1995 Binding: Hardcover Pages: 293 first edition. Seller Inventory # 6096143
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The Good Life and Its Discontents: The American Dream in the Age of Entitlement, 1945-1995
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Hardback. Condition: Fair. A New York Times Business Book Bestseller Shrewd and optimistic. . . . The Good Life and Its Discontents] combines first-rate analysis with persuasive historical, political and sociological insights. --The New Republic Today Americans are wealthier, healthier, and live longer than at any previous time in our history. As a society, we have never had it so good. Yet, paradoxically, many of us have never felt so bad. For, as Robert J. Samuelson observes in this visionary book, our country suffers from a national sense of entitlement--a feeling that someone, whether Big Business or Big Government, should guarantee us secure jobs, rising living standards, social harmony, and personal fulfillment. In The Good Life and Its Discontents, Samuelson, a national columnist for Newsweek and the Washington Post, links our rising expectations with our belief in a post-Cold War vision of an American utopia. Using history, economics, and psychology, he exposes the hubris of economists and corporate managers and indicts a government that promises too much to too many constituencies. Like David Reisman's The Lonely Crowd and John Kenneth Galbraith's The Affluent Society, the result is a book that defines its time--and that is sure to shape the national debate for years to come. A smart, balanced epitaph for an era--with a few clues for what's ahead. --Business Week Lucid and] nonsectarian . . . Samuelson traces how the reasonable demand for progress has given way to the excessive demand for perfection. --The New York Times. Seller Inventory # CIN0812925920A
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The Good Life and Its Discontents: The American Dream in the Age of Entitlement, 1945-1995
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Good. A New York Times Business Book Bestseller Shrewd and optimistic. . . . The Good Life and Its Discontents] combines first-rate analysis with persuasive historical, political and sociological insights. --The New Republic Today Americans are wealthier, healthier, and live longer than at any previous time in our history. As a society, we have never had it so good. Yet, paradoxically, many of us have never felt so bad. For, as Robert J. Samuelson observes in this visionary book, our country suffers from a national sense of entitlement--a feeling that someone, whether Big Business or Big Government, should guarantee us secure jobs, rising living standards, social harmony, and personal fulfillment. In The Good Life and Its Discontents, Samuelson, a national columnist for Newsweek and the Washington Post, links our rising expectations with our belief in a post-Cold War vision of an American utopia. Using history, economics, and psychology, he exposes the hubris of economists and corporate managers and indicts a government that promises too much to too many constituencies. Like David Reisman's The Lonely Crowd and John Kenneth Galbraith's The Affluent Society, the result is a book that defines its time--and that is sure to shape the national debate for years to come. A smart, balanced epitaph for an era--with a few clues for what's ahead. --Business Week Lucid and] nonsectarian . . . Samuelson traces how the reasonable demand for progress has given way to the excessive demand for perfection. --The New York Times. Seller Inventory # CIN0812925920G
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The Good Life and its Discontents
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0812925920I3N00