Description
Book SynopsisDoron Taussig invites us to question the American Dream. Did you earn what you have? Did everyone else?
The American Dream is built on the idea that Americans end up roughly where we deserve to be in our working lives based on our efforts and abilities; in other words, the United States is supposed to be a meritocracy. When Americans think and talk about our lives, we grapple with this idea, asking how a person got to where he or she is and whether he or she earned it. In What We Mean by the American Dream, Taussig tries to find out how we answer those questions.
Weaving together interviews with Americans from many walks of lifeas well as stories told in the US media about prominent figures from politics, sports, and businessWhat We Mean by the American Dream investigates how we think about whether an individual deserves an opportunity, job, termination, paycheck, or fortune. Taussig looks into the fabric of American life to explore how various people, incl
Trade Review
In this exceptionally well-written study, these stories demonstrate that "we already know we don't live in a meritocracy, and we don't especially care."
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Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. American Idols
2. Head Starts and Handicaps
3. Me, Myself, and I
4. Merit without the -ocracy
5. What's Deserve Got to Do with It?
