A humorous, nostalgic look at a 1950s childhood, this book struck me, given the current turmoil in our society over race and inequality, with how oblivious that time was to the very different lives of the non-white, non-privileged people. I found myself thinking how this innocent nostalgia feeds the fury and frustration and anger of some who want to return to "old fashioned" values and "the way things were".
The dominance of America after WWII created a superiority that faded with the rise of globalization.
Quote:
"By 1951...almost 90% of American families had refrigerators, and nearly 3/4ths had washing machines , telephones, vacuum cleaners, and gas or electric stoves--things that most of the result of the world could still only fantasize about. Americans owned 80% of the world's electrical goods, controlled 2/3rds of the world's productive capacity, produced more than 40% of its electricity, 60% of its oil, and 66 % of its steel. The 5% of people on Earth who were Americans had more wealth than the other 95% combined.
Published: 2006 Read: June 2020 Genre: Memoir
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