Customer Reviews

The First Measured Century : An Illustrated Guide to Trends in America, 1900-2000

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The First Measured Century is a masterful compendium of facts and commentary on the 20th century seen through a vast array of statistics. The effect of the book is to smash many stereotypes about our nation and the 20th century, and to raise numerous, thoughtful questions regarding where we've been and where we're going. I enthusiastically recommend this book for anyone who really wants to know what went on in the last century. It will also make a terrific textbook for high school or college courses dealing with history, social change, social issues, and so on. You've got to get this book, and keep it close at hand for years to come if you want to be well-informed.

This is the kind of book that you can open to any page, and you will find something that intrigues you. A half-hour will pass, and you'll still be reading and thinking about the the trends and the meanings of the trends illustrated in the graphs. First Measured Century is a great conversation piece and a wonderful resource for writers, teachers, historians -- anyone with an interest in our country. This book is worth the investment.

This is a very fun book to read, especially if you have "conventional" opinions about things. I say this because some of the topics covered reveal surprisingly unexpected trends. This is not a serious work and is not suitable for serious research per se, but it has good foot-notes and sources so its topics could be researched further if the reader is so inclined.

This is an outstanding work that measures the changes in American social reality over the past century. From 76 million to 275 million citizens , from a largely rural country to an urban highly- industrialized one, from a country in which a high- school education was had by six percent only to one in which high- school education was had by eighty- three percent. Life -expectancy increased during this period twenty-six years for males and twenty- nine for females. The quality of life, in education, in health, increased enormously. The number of working hours and days declined, and the women's participation in the work- force increased enormously. Overall fertility declined through the century with the exception of the baby- boom years. Cohabitation before marriage which was nonexistent in 1900 became the rule in 2000. And in another disturbing trend for many Americans the rate of children born out of wedlock increased greatly to be now over twenty- five percent. Crime of all kinds also increased considerably though there has been leveling off in many areas since the eighties. Prosperity as measured by living space, by opportunities and time for leisure have also gone way up.
The overall picture given despite many negative trends is that the twentieth century was one of enormous progress and development for America. This of course was the century when it was a major factor in two world - wars, and in defeating the evils of Nazism and Fascism.
As the century ended America was the world's sole superpower and its leader politically, militarily and culturally.
This book is a wealth of information about developments over the century and it is highly recommeded.

I bought this book when it was first published and have referred to it again and again. It's a fascinating book that's not only interesting to read cover to cover, but a great resource to have on hand.

This is truly a book for anyone interested in American life in the twentieth century, even those who, at first glance, would be intimidated by statistics. Each topic is presented through a page of thoughtful text about the data, and a facing page of clear, colorful charts, illustrations that can in fact stand alone. Chapters proceed in a logical order, linking interesting data on everything from population to education, government, crime, communications, business, and more. I can honestly say that I have already read this book twice in an attempt to absorb all of the fascinating information it puts forth. Moreover, there is a complete listing of sources in the "notes" section to supplement further research. This book gets an "A," and, by the inherent understanding obtained by reading, so should anyone who reads it to learn about social change.

This book is truly the most enjoyable sociology related text that I have read to date. The information found in both the graphs and the text are indespinsible, at least for those of us that want to live a full and knowledgeable life. The text is also extremely well written. Whereas most academic books of this caliber bore the reader with terms and concepts that cannot be understood, this book does no such thing. It consistently interesting and never confusing. I have never read a better sociological book. I would also like to strongly disagree with a previous review that said that this book should not be called a book. Clearly, it is a book, as it has pages with words on them. Clearly, whoever wrote that review should not be allowed to write reviews because The First Measured Century is definitely one of the best books ever.

Students, statisticians, and nerds all over the world can finally unite beneath the deluge of data in this book. The research team for this book did the number-seeking, number-crunching, and pretty-graph making for you. Now, even poor masses of undergraduate sociology students can safely tackle 100 years of data on the United States. These charts will make you think, ponder, and perhaps even lol (laugh out loud).

In no other book will you find such a great volume of information....and no other book will treat you so gently as it crams your mind full of knowledge. I give this book five stars, two thumbs up, and one helluva high five.

*high five*

The First Measured Century is an excellent compilation of statistical data, full of tidbits of useful information. Never before have so many social trends been charted and explained in a single book. The FMC is a great conversation starter, and a wonderful addition to any coffee table. Memorize the social trends and astound your friends with " i did not know that" factoids that will blow their minds. An excellent source of information on social life in the United States. Ben Wattenberg is pure genius. That Hicks guy is okay too.

The First Measured Century is the perfect complement to a well-balanced Ivy League education as well as a great collection of trivial data that will astound your friends and co-workers. Formatted in a very easy to follow combination of graphs and in-depth discussion; the book addresses nearly all conceivable trends in the twentieth century. The breadth of discussion makes it a must for anyone studying social trends.