Coming of Age: The Story of Our Century by Those Who've Lived It
by Studs Terkel
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Coming of Age: The Story of Our Century by Those Who've Lived It is a collective portrait of our times, woven from the voices of seventy very different people, the youngest of whom is seventy and the oldest ninety-nine. Together they give us an extraordinary panorama of American life and work throughout this century and underscore the ways in which the times have changed. Coming of Age is also, in many ways, a sequel to Terkel's acclaimed Working (1974), for it traces the extraordinary ways show more our working lives have changed in the past few decades - often beyond recognition. We meet politicians and preachers, advertising men and hucksters. Here is the partner in a large law firm, suing the colleagues who have forced him out; here, too, is the carpenter, accepting as inevitable the replacement of his skilled tasks by machine. But this is not a group of disgruntled Luddites; most accept - indeed welcome - the new technologies, yet they all deplore the degree to which human contact has declined and how traditional hopes and aspirations have been superseded by the often ruthless demands of the modern corporation. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Terkel's books consists of oral interviews he conducted with average Americans over the course of his life. In this book, all of the people who tell their stories are over the age of 70. Terkel asks them to reflect on the 20th century as they experienced it and also on aging and being old.
I really liked hearing about the previous century directly from the people who lived through it. I also like that Terkel interviews people from all walks of life, including people of diverse political viewpoints, ethnicities, religions, and social classes, among others. Most of the interviews took place around 1994, and many of the interviewees had great insights on the state of American society at the end of the century and the direction it was show more headed in. show less
I really liked hearing about the previous century directly from the people who lived through it. I also like that Terkel interviews people from all walks of life, including people of diverse political viewpoints, ethnicities, religions, and social classes, among others. Most of the interviews took place around 1994, and many of the interviewees had great insights on the state of American society at the end of the century and the direction it was show more headed in. show less
This was another interview/profile selection from Terkel. All participants were over 70 years old, predominantly Chicago based, and thoughtful about the activism in which they were leaders or otherwise involved. Important issues presented by many participants were union issues, violence and non-violence, racism, health, poverty, environmentalism, and religious belief. The world has changed dramatically across the lifespan of those interviewed, and the point of this book is to remember that these folks survived the depression, several wars, the Red Scare, and intense technological advance while continuing living throughout these experiences with as much dignity and love of life as they could muster. I was impressed with how much those show more interviewed cared about the world and tried to make it better while dealing with their own human limitations. show less
A fascinating collection of biographical sketches about the 20th century and those who lived through most of it. Terkel interviews many interesting people who tell their interesting stories. A wonderful way to get a perspective of history and change in the United States.
my copy with signature when Studs came to Pikesville, Maryland
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Author Information
32+ Works 10,533 Members
Studs Terkel was an actor, writer, and radio host. He was born Louis Terkel on May 16, 1912 in New York City. He took his name from the James T. Farrell novel, Studs Lonigan. Terkel attended the University of Chicago and graduated with a law degree in 1934. Terkel acted in local stage productions and on radio dramas until he began one of the first show more television programs, an unscripted show called Studs Place in the early 1950s. In 1952, Terkel began Studs Terkel's Almanac on radio station WFMT in Chicago. Terkel compiled a series of books based on oral histories that defined America in the 20th Century. Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do received a National Book Award nomination in 1975. The Good War: An Oral History of World War II won the Pulitzer Prize in nonfiction in 1985. Working was turned into a hit musical in 1978. Terkel was named the Communicator of the Year by the University of Chicago in 1969. He also won a Peabody Award for excellence in journalism in 1980 and the National Book Foundation Medal for contributions to American letters in 1997. He died on October 31, 2008 at the age of 96. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Coming of Age: The Story of Our Century by Those Who've Lived It
- Alternate titles
- Coming of Age: Growing Up in the Twentieth Century
- Original publication date
- 1995
- Epigraph
- When I'm an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shal... (show all)l sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up the samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.
—Jenny Joseph
Earth every day is clumsier. Stairs are stumbly;
Keys slip from fingers; floors are down too far.
Games show their age; balls bobble, thumbs are fumbly.
Mallets? They've turn flamingoes — there you are!
Wors... (show all)e: mirrors once full-bodies, rose and gold,
Show withering apparitions. Old! They're old!
—John Frederick Nims
Sometimes when the fights begin,
I think I'll let the dragons win,
But then again, perhaps I won't,
Because they're dragons, and I don't.
—A. A. Milne - Dedication
- To those old ones who still do battle with dragons
- First words
- Introduction
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can..." - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)No matter what terrible thing may happen, I'm still ahead of the game.
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, Sociology, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 305.26 — Society, Government, and Culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social group - Age, Gender, Ethnicity Age groups Older people (60+)
- LCC
- HQ1064 .U5 .T44 — Social sciences The family. Marriage, Women and Sexuality The Family. Marriage. Women The family. Marriage. Home Aged. Gerontology (Social aspects).
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 513
- Popularity
- 57,954
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.82)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook
- ISBNs
- 8
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 8
