American Dreams: Lost and Found

I feel as though this book could have been written any time from 1789 to present. Terkel interviews citizens from all over the country in different walks of life and of different races and ethnic groups. Some are optimistic--things are much better than when they were younger. Others are pessimistic, they feel that their security and status have declined. Racism, capitalistic greed, destruction of the environment seem constants. In fact, the book was published in 1980--the major change I see since that time is the increase in women in public life and the increased visibility and rights for sexual minorities. One item of interest is an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger--a very driven and goal oriented man whose body building career had show more reached its climax and whose motion picture career, not mentioned in the interview, was just getting started. It seems as though the American Dream is always a work in progress, failing for some, succeeding for others and being redefined as the nation changes. It is, as the subtile has it, "lost and found." show less

A sterling collection of interviews by the master of the format, Studs Terkel, with a wide range of Americans, well-known and unknown, about their personal experiences and thoughts on seeking the American Dream, and what it is. Many of these are stirring, inspiring, but the one that stays the most in my memory is Joan Crawford in 1963, before "Mommy Dearest", saying to Terkel "I'm so grateful to my children. I hope i fulfill their lives as much as they are fulfilling mine."

Nobody does oral History like Studs Terkel: 101 Americans speak about their imagines future

So interesting as usual.
Shattered Dreams and yet Hope in everyone and everywhere

3 stars

I had to read this for a college class, but it's not something I would have picked out for myself.