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“What happened to the America I thought I knew?” Brokaw writes. “Have we simply wandered off course, but only temporarily? Or have we allowed ourselves to be so divided that we’re easy prey for hijackers who could steer us onto a path to a crash landing? . . . I do have some thoughts, original and inspired by others, for our journey into the heart of a new century.”
Rooted in the values, lessons, and verities of generations past and of his South Dakota upbringing, Brokaw weaves together inspiring stories of Americans who are making a difference and personal stories from his own family history, to engage us in a conversation about our country and to offer ideas for how we can revitalize the promise of the American Dream.
Inviting us to foster a rebirth of family, community, and civic engagement as profound as the one that won World War II, built our postwar prosperity, and ushered in the Civil Rights era, Brokaw traces the exciting, unnerving changes in modern life—in values, education, public service, housing, the Internet, and more—that have transformed our society in the decades since the age of thrift in which he was raised. Offering ideas from Americans who are change agents in their communities, in The Time of Our Lives, Brokaw gives us, a wise, honest, and wide-ranging book, a nourishing vision of hopefulness in an age of diminished expectations.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
November 1, 2011 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780307932815
- File size: 203622 KB
- Duration: 07:04:12
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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What has happened to us? Have we lost our way? Tom Brokaw asks a lot of questions about the future of the American Dream. He's got some answers--consolidating public universities for efficiency, for example. Mostly, though, Brokaw presents examples of people who are dealing with change and asks listeners to think about the future they want for our nation. Even as he shares the stories of others, Brokaw's authoritative voice comes through clearly. That's fitting for a book in which his own thoughts and memories play an important role. The stories of people displaced by our brutal economy can be unsettling. However, the questions raised are interesting and worth a listen. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine -
October 24, 2011
Legendary broadcast journalist Brokaw assumes an avuncular tone to discuss America's past, present, and future (the latter designated as "promise"). Addressing issues from lackluster education, military mindsets, public service, digitalization, and engaging anecdotes encountered during years of reporting, he also presents his and his wife's family histories in engaging fashion. The format meticulously frames perceptions of modern challenges versus simpler times and urges a proactive stance. Of America's leadership class, he writes: "We have too few of those voices these days." In the educational race with other nations, he suggests regionalizing college opportunities: "Consolidation is a logical place to begin." Brokaw (The Greatest Generation) strongly encourages advocacy groups for wounded veterans and suggests that although "mandatory public service may be a hard political sellâ¦bold, new initiatives are in order."
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