Two decades into the 21st century, we find ourselves in a cynical time. The phrase "American dream" is often used ironically or even with bitterness. Indeed, we hear more about the death of the dream than anyone achieving it. And the stagnation of living standards for most people has been the defining trend of American life. Life expectancy has declined, economic inequality has soared, and the Black-white wage gap is as large as it was when Harry Truman was president. How did this happen in the world's most powerful country? Drawing on decades of writing about the economy for the New York Times, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Leonhardt examines the past century of American history, from the Great Depression to today's Great Stagnation, in search of an answer. A sweeping narrative full of human drama,this is the biography of the American dream.