The First Measured Century: An Illustrated Guide to Trends in America 1900-2000

This text uses statistics about daily life to uncover trends of social change and continuity in the United States during the 20th century. Fifteen areas of American life are examined: population, work, education, family, living arrangements, religion, leisure, health, money, politics, government, crime, transportation, business, and communications. Trends within each area are given a one-page explanation, illustrated by colored charts. The volume is published in conjunction with the PBS television special of the same name. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

With this tie-in to a PBS documentary that aired in December, Caplow (Recent Social Trends in the United States), Louis Hicks (Systems of War and Peace), and Ben J. Wattenberg (Values Matter Most) have created a handbook of historical statistics covering such categories as "population," "work," and "health." They also include statistical information from Robert and Helen M. Lynd's famous sociological study, Middletown: A Study in Modern American Culture (1927), which addresses attitudes and trends. The text, which generally covers the 20th century, presents a narrative introduction on one page and the statistics in chart form on the opposing page. A Statistical Portrait of the United States: Social Conditions and Trends (Bernan, 1998) and the Datapedia of the United States: America Year by Year 1790-2005 (Bernan, 2000) cover the same areas in much greater detail. They are much higher priced, however, making the title under review an inexpensive and helpful historical reference for libraries needing only one such title. Substantial collections with other historical statistical titles will find it an optional complement only.ACharlie Cowling, SUNY at Brockport Lib.
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