The Time of Our Lives: A conversation about America go now, to recapture the American dream [Hardcover]

Tom Brokaw (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 1, 2011

Tom Brokaw, known and beloved for his landmark work in American journalism and for the New York Times bestsellers The Greatest Generation and Boom!, now turns his attention to the challenges that face America in the new millennium, to offer reflections on how we can restore America’s greatness.
 
“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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Featured: A Letter from Tom Brokaw

My fellow Americans,

When you hear that phrase from a politician, does it seem insincere or anachronistic? Wouldn't it be more honest if they said, "My fellow members of the Divide America club"? For that seems to be the objective these days across the political spectrum--divide, not unite.

For almost a half century I've been reporting on American politics, the American culture and the American dream. I don't remember a time when there was so much anxiety about our common values, vision, and legacy.

So, in The Time of Our Lives I set out to reflect on how we got here, how we may emerge from our current frustrations, and how much we owe future generations. It's at once a personal book, written from the perspective of my working class roots, journalistic background, and the lessons I learned in writing an earlier book--The Greatest Generation. I also wrote this book as a grandfather who felt a certain urgency about providing my grandchildren the same choices and opportunities I had.

You 'll meet a lot of familiar people--President Obama and Rush Limbaugh among them--but the real lessons come from ordinary Americans, past and present, who love their country and worry it has lost its greatest asset: its ability to make this immigrant nation stronger than its many parts by working together.

I begin with a simple question: what happened to the America I thought I knew? I end with an enduring lesson from the American wilderness. In between I encourage everyone to re-enlist as citizens and join me in a conversation about who we are and where we want to go.

I hope you'll join our discussion.

--Tom Brokaw

---

Review

Praise for The Time of Our Lives

"With commonsense values, [Brokaw] appeals to Americans to recommit to family
and community, increase civic engagement, and make sacrifices in an effort to ensure some security for generations to come. An engaging recollection of the achievements of the past, the realities of the present, and the promise of the future."--Booklist

"[Brokaw] jumps into triage mode with this tenderhearted, nostalgic journalistic roundup, just in time for the upcoming presidential election ... Brokaw is especially good at working the human-interest angle ... An ever-upbeat message from the well-connected yet modest veteran journalist."--Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Boom!
 
“[Brokaw] approaches this magnum opus with warmth, curiosity and conviction, the same attributes that worked so well for his Greatest Generation.”—The New York Times
 
“Brokaw does an excellent job of capturing an exciting, controversial period in American history and Boom! is a worthy addition to his growing canon.”—New York Post
 
Praise for The Greatest Generation
 
“Offers welcome inspiration . . . It is impossible to read even a few of these accounts and not be touched by the book’s overarching message: We who followed this generation have lived in the midst of greatness.”—The Washington Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Random House; First Edition edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400064589
• ISBN-13: 978-1400064588
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.1 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Essays

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 65 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Living Through Interesting Times October 28, 2011

By Thomas Grover VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Brokaw has written a thought-provoking and fascinating account of challenges America currently faces both as a society and as individuals. Problems we need to solve if America is going to not only survive but to thrive. He writes about the challenges we face in education as American students continue to fall behind their contemporaries in other countries. He talks about the need for national service as most Americans have never served in the military and as a result have little appreciation for what it took to make this country great, and to keep it great. He explains that there are options other than the military to serve your country.

Mr. Brokaw writes about how people have lost sight of living within their means, and how our politicians have failed to keep America living within its means. He believes more of us need to volunteer in our communities to make life better for all. The great technological advances made over the past couple of decades have opened up vast new opportunities that need to be explored.

If America is to have an honest conversation about some of its most perplexing problems, this book would be a good place to start.

52 of 57 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Lite and breezy... November 14, 2011

By John P. Jones III TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Tom Brokaw is from one of the ultimate "heartland states," South Dakota. He says that his lack of aptitude for science and math led him to journalism. He made it big: a face familiar to millions of Americans as an "anchor" on an evening news show. The voice was always one of reason. He has reached the "summing up" part of his life, with grandchildren under foot. Like many of us, he has wondered what has happened to the many virtues that America once had, and if we have the ability to reclaim our way. As he says in his Preface: "I believe it is time for an American conversation about legacy and destiny." From the "Amen Corner,": Past Time.

Brokaw uses the metaphor of the family clock, an heirloom that they have owned for over 100 years. Time continues to move along that singular vector: forward. Certainly the charm of the book are in the anecdotal accounts of his family's history on the High Plains, as well as the stories of various Americans who have tried to make a "difference," who haven't waited for someone else, but initiated their own actions and programs. The adversity of the climate, and the economic failure that was the Great Depression, engendered "community values," in the best sort of way. Bravo for the "good neighbor," but shouldn't we be asking why we need adversity to promote it; and in prosperity, we lose it?

Concerning the issues we need to address, Brokaw focuses on education, the need to downsize our material needs, restore public service, and properly and humanly manage the wonderful new world of interconnectivity. There are some pithy formulations about our abuse of the environment: "Will our freeways become our Easter Island giant statues?..." The author tells the stories of several individuals in the field of education who have helped turn around poor schools, such as Tony Smith, a principal at Taft High in Cincinnati, who "partnered" with the CEO of the local phone company. All too often though, Brokaw comes across with puff-ball bromides. In summing of Chapter 3, on education, he says: "It is hard and noble work and, yes, it is not always done perfectly, but the failures of the system ought not to be blamed on the teachers alone. We all have a stake."

I had hoped that Brokaw would have taken us much further along on that "curve" that is the conversation he (and I) say we need. Oh so much was missing. The devastation wrought by the financial services industry, and more importantly, what we should be doing about it, was essentially omitted. How much money did the so-called "Masters of the Universe" take from the rest of us? We should all KNOW that figure: two, three, four trillion dollars? Do we need all those derivatives that "regulate themselves" except when they don't? What was the matter with "heartland banking," succinctly expressed as "5-9-2." (the bank paid the depositor 5% on his passbook savings account; made mortgages at 9%, and since it was so simple (and transparent!) the banker could be on the golf course at 2 pm). Brokaw advocates thrift (and there is another "amen") but never comments on the almost 100% tax rate the Fed has imposed on all savers in order to help rebuild bank balance sheets (of course the three letter word is never used; they simply reduce the Fed fund rate to zero, and when they write another check for those collateralized mortgage obligations that went sour it is described as "expanding the Fed's balance sheet.") Whimsical Easter Island metaphors? How about passing a law that all CEO's would have to have two portraits of Marie Antoinette in their offices... a before, and an after. All of this was missing.

As was much else. Brokaw is famous for his book on The Greatest Generation and how they beat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in less than four years. So why did he never once address America's endless wars, the "borrowing" the wars entail, and if there is any "light at the end of the tunnel." Being a veteran myself, I appreciated his focus on the separation between those who served in the military, and the rest of civilian society. Brokaw said that we need to downsize our "McMansions" (amen), but never mentioned downsizing our 12 aircraft carrier battle groups. Do our security needs really require that many?

He promotes numerous other "received ideas" without even exploring the possibility that perhaps the opposite might be better. "We need more and better educated science graduates." Do we? I have a degree in Physics, and have long wondered if my life would be improved by one more electronic gizmo. When I was in school I poo-pooed the "soft" social sciences. In retrospect, it seems that is exactly what we need: a new gizmo will not get the homeless off the street or end the meth epidemic, or reduce income inequality. Do we really need more immigration? Can you raise the question without being called a racist? When are too many people more than enough? Can we put a roof over our head and food on the table without being number one, competitively? Has not the recent scandal at Penn State underscored what happens when "winning is everything"?

So, yes, let the conversation begin, but move it further along the curve, beyond the point of merely rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I have no idea what Brokaw's relationship was with Walter Cronkite. If Brokaw viewed him as some sort of mentor, he could recall the night that Cronkite looked the American people in the eye, and said we could not win in Vietnam. The hard truths. Brokaw still has time. And many Americans would listen. In the meantime, 3-stars for this effort. Read more ›

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting conversation with Tom Brokaw about the times he has lived through and some ideas about the promise of the future October 29, 2011

By Interested Reader TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Note - I am just slightly younger than the author, so I have lived through the same interesting times as he. I mention this because I think that it colors my perspective concerning the book, but more about this at the end of the review.

WHAT IS IN THE BOOK - This book consists of 18 chapters grouped into four parts:
1. Getting The Fundamentals Right. This part of the book deals with some of the fundamental problems of our time, namely:
o America's legacy and the complex realities of the 21-first century
o Education in general
o Science education and the needs of the 21st century
o Thrift and living above your means
o The housing crisis
2. Assignment America. This part of the book deals with our relationship with our government and is concerned with:
o America's support for its armed forces
o Alternate public service opportunities
o Public and private initiatives
3. Help Me Make It Through This New Age Dot Com. This part of the book deals with technology and society. It included chapters on:
o The impact of technology
o Journalism in the internet age
o The need for partners
4. What Now Grandma and Grandpa. This is the most personal part of the book. It deals with:
o Is the US ready to accept having only the #2 economy, and an attendant loss of power and prestige
o Can American society learn from its failures
o The idea of his becoming a grandpa

Each chapter follows the same format, which is best explained using one chapter as an example - in this case the one on Education. All the chapters begin with a highlighted box containing a Fact and Questions arising from this fact.... In the case of this chapter the fact was that the median annual income for a wage earner with a Bachelor of Arts degree is $55,700 compared to $22,000 for a high school graduate without a college degree. The questions posed are "What exactly does higher education mean in a modern global society, and how should it be organized for the masses as well as for the intellectually and financially elite?" This is followed by a brief expansion of the ideas raised by these questions. Then there are three sections - The Past, The Present and The Promise. In the case of this chapter the past deals the formation of America's Land Grant Colleges, and the rise of Asian economies due in part to very high educational standards and very hard studying students. The present deals with the present challenge facing the American Educational system - how can we make the system more efficient and more affordable. The promise deals with approaches that are showing promise of addressing the problems of the present.

WHAT DO I THINK OF THE BOOK - As I said at the beginning of this review, Tom Brokaw and I are about the same age and have lived through the same times. As such, much of what he has to say resonates with me in a way that it might not with a much younger reader. I too am a grandfather concerned with the world that is being left to my grandchildren and I have come to many of the same conclusions as the author. Many of the chapters contain interesting suggestions for how to approach the problems of the present, particularly the chapters on education and public service, but other chapters did not. However, all the chapters made me think about these problems and I hope that it will have the same effect on you.

I really liked most of the chapters of the book and on balance this resulted in my five-star rating, but I did not like others quite so much, so if fractional stars were allowed I would have given the book a bit less than five stars. Also,I do not know how well this book will be appreciated by those who have not experienced the same times as those of us who are past 65. From my perspective this is a five-star book, but a younger reader may well consider some of this to be the musings of an old man who does not understand their lives, which is wrong. Tom Brokaw has the background and inquisitive nature to see the past and how this has led to the present and perhaps to the future. Unfortunately, it takes a lifetime to understand this. Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-Provoking and Insightful November 6, 2011

By Kat Yares VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

You don't have to be as old as Tom Brokaw to know that the United States of America of today is not the same as it was in years gone by. With jarring clarity, Brokaw illuminates where we have gone wrong, from education to technology.

It seemed in every chapter I was nodding my head in agreement as the former news anchor raised questions and concerns about the new American society. Gone are the days when life seemed simpler (it may not have been, but it felt that way) and the challenges facing society are the ones that are either going to make us or break us, depending on how we respond to them.

I agree with Brokaw that the world my grandchildren face is far different than the world I faced when I came of age. Having lived thru the same trials and tribulations of the last 40 decades that Brokaw is relating in this book, he has helped me see with crystal clear insight how we have arrived at where we are today.

Not an easy read because of the content, but written in a way that every one of us can understand. Personally, I think every high school senior should have this book on their required reading list. They, then, may understand and rise up to face the challenges straight on--instead of feeling entitled to that which they do not work for.

If you enjoyed Brokaw's The Greatest Generation, this is the perfect follow up book, showing us all how far we've fallen since then. In many cases, he then gives what he perceives as possible solutions to the problems. I didn't always agree with the solutions, but at least he put them out there for other to act on and judge.