Title: Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America
Author: Robert B. Reich
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: Pending...
Description (Audible): A thought-provoking, principled, clear-eyed chronicle of the culture, politics, and economic choices that have landed us where we are today—with irresponsible economic bullies and corporations with immense wealth and lobbying power on top, demagogues on the rise, and increasing inequality fueling anger and hatred across the country.
Nine months after World War II, Robert Reich was born into a united America with a bright future—that went unrealized for so many as big money took over our democracy. His encounter with school bullies on account of his height—4’11” as an adult—set him on a determined path to spend his life fighting American bullies of every sort. He recounts the death of a friend in the civil rights movement; his political coming of age witnessing the Berkeley free speech movement; working for Bobby Kennedy and Senator Eugene McCarthy; experiencing a country torn apart by the Vietnam War; meeting Hillary Rodham in college, Bill Clinton at Oxford, and Clarence Thomas at Yale Law. He details his friendship with John Kenneth Galbraith during his time teaching at Harvard, and subsequent friendships with Bernie Sanders and Ted Kennedy; his efforts as labor secretary for Clinton and economic advisor to Barack Obama. Ultimately, Reich asks: What did his generation accomplish? Did they make America better, more inclusive, more tolerant? Did they strengthen democracy? Or, did they come up short? In the end, though, Reich hardly abandons us to despair over a doomed democracy. With his characteristic spirit, humor, and inherent decency, he lays out how we can reclaim a sense of community and a democratic capitalism based on the American ideals we still have the power to salvage.
Description (ChatGPT): Robert Reich's Coming Up Short is a compelling and concise exploration of the widening gap between the promises of the American Dream and the harsh economic realities facing millions of Americans. With his signature clarity and moral urgency, Reich examines how systemic inequalities, stagnant wages, and diminishing job security have eroded the financial stability of the middle and working classes.
Drawing on real-life stories and economic data, Reich highlights the frustration and disillusionment of a generation "coming up short" despite working hard and playing by the rules. The book doesn't just diagnose the problem — it calls for a reinvigoration of social trust and public investment, advocating policies that promote equity and restore dignity to American labor.
While brief, the book is sharp, accessible, and deeply human. It’s a timely reminder that economic justice is not just a policy issue but a moral imperative.
