The Value of a Dollar: Prices and Incomes in the United States, 1860-2004 (Value of a Dollar) [Hardcover]

Scott Derks (Author, Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Want to know what a guy had to pay for a ticket to the Tunney-versus-Dempsey heavyweight title fight in 1926? What a family had to pay for a Toastmaster Automatic pop-up toaster that same year? Perhaps you're wondering what a Sears Roly Poly combed-cotton baby gown cost in 1941, what a pound of sugar cost in 1960, how much the Szechuan seafood salad sold for at the Shun Lee Restaurant, New York City, in 1988. This engaging statistical summary presents the history of the American people through the prices they paid for a wide variety of products and services. The first section is organized into six chapters covering 20-year periods and then into subchapters covering 5-year spans. Each subchapter presents a chronology of mostly economic events; tables showing typical wages and incomes, expenditures, and investment yields; a representative "food basket" comparing prices in different cities; prices on items from alcoholic beverages to travel; and more. Following these summaries is a new section called "Pricing Trends," which tracks changes in the costs of goods and services in various categories and also show values compared to today's dollar.

The precise source of the data is often included in the tables and charts. The tables are stylishly designed, with lots of white space between numbers and an occasional historical snapshot or advertising reproduction. The index is not especially detailed, and there are some errors in the running heads.

The Value of a Dollar will interest students of social history, fiction writers needing easy access to precise historical detail, business historians, and older folks nostalgic for those days gone by when you could buy your smokes for a penny apiece. This is a recommended title for academic libraries, larger public libraries, and any library serving people interested in understanding history through the eyes of everyday consumers. Art A. Lichtenstein
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 664 pages
• Publisher: Grey House Publishing; 3 edition (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592370748
• ISBN-13: 978-1592370740
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #248,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so much for economic growth, September 28, 2008

By 

Ryan Costa "a serious guy" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Value of a Dollar: Prices and Incomes in the United States, 1860-2004 (Value of a Dollar) (Hardcover)

the book is made of a list of prices from the last 140 odd years. these prices also include the prices of labor. It demonstrates that most of us are worse off in terms of being able to afford K12 education, higher education, a visit to the doctor, a night in the hospital, a new suit, a hamburger, and possibly a train ticket. Even from 20 years ago. Inflation is not uniformly distributed. but we have much better car stereos. I feel as great about overhearing all the car stereos on the street as most people would.