The trap
Subtitle: selling out to stay afloat in winner-take-all America
By: Daniel Brook
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Times Books
Published: 2007
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 274
ISBN-13: 9780805080650
Subjects: Professions; Income distribution; Cost and standard of living
Description: In this provocative, witty, and revealing polemic, journalist Daniel Brook argues that the exploding income gap--a product of the conservative ascendance--is systematically dismantling the American dream, as debt-laden, well-educated young people are torn between their passions and the pressure to earn six-figure incomes. Rising education, housing, and health-care costs have made it virtually impossible for all but the corporate elite to enjoy what were once considered middle-class comforts. Thousands are afflicted with a wrenching choice: take up residence on America's financial and social margins or sell out. And it's not just impoverished teachers and social workers, struggling to pay their rent, who are hurt. From the activist who works to give others a living wage but isn't paid one himself, to the universal health-care advocate who becomes a management consultant for Big Pharma, Brook presents a damning indictment of the economic and political landscape that traps young Americans.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [231]-259) and index.