"A timely work of groundbreaking history explains how the American middle class ballooned at mid-century until it dominated the nation, showing who benefited and what brought the expansion to an end"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction -- A dream deferred -- Roosevelt to the rescue -- Hour of discontent -- The good war -- Postwar fog -- The middle-class model -- Cracks in the foundation -- Trying to cope -- Things fall apart -- The era in retrospect.