The best-case scenario / Katherine S. Newman and Chauncy Lennon -- High flyers, low riders, and the "up but not out" club -- All in the family -- The national picture / Helen Connolly, Peter Gottschalk, and Katherine S. Newman -- Streetwise economics -- Victor Tan Chen and Katherine S. Newman --...

The United States has been epitomized as a land of opportunity, where hard work and skill can bring personal success and economic well-being. The American Dream has captured the imagination of people from all walks of life, and to many, it represents the heart and soul of the country. But there...

The "self-made" man is a familiar figure in nineteenth-century American history. But the relentless expansion of market relations that facilitated such stories of commercial success also ensured that individual bankruptcy would become a prominent feature in the nation's economic landscape. In...