Authors: Don Peck
In 2010 I wrote a cover story for
The Atlantic
exploring how high unemployment might change American society if it continued to persist. Soon after it was published, I received a phone call from John Glusman at Crown, suggesting a broader inquiry into the enduring impact that the recession and its aftermath would have on American life. John’s enthusiasm, to a large degree, convinced me to write this book. I am grateful to him for his encouragement and ideas throughout this process, and for his skillful editing.
James Bennet, the editor of
The Atlantic
, made this book possible by generously granting me several months off to write it, despite the staffing complexities that decision entailed. Special thanks go to James and to all my colleagues at
The Atlantic
, who helped me in too many ways to count with this book and the magazine article that preceded it. It is a pleasure and an honor to work with such gracious, curious, and committed professionals.
The Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars gave me valuable support and a quiet office in which to write. Hallie Detrick, Aleschia Hyde, and Cale Salih provided careful research assistance. Rachael Brown diligently checked thousands of facts contained in the book, conducted invaluable ad hoc research, and helped assemble the endnotes. Janice Cane’s excellent copyediting improved the book’s flow. Patrick Appel and Zoe Pollock, of
The Daily Dish
, kindly compiled scores of blog entries written by readers in the blog’s recurring feature, “The View from Your Recession,” and helped me follow up with some of those readers. The professional staff at the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was unfailingly helpful in my many requests for assistance in finding employment data.
Dozens of economists, sociologists, historians, and other scholars graciously agreed to speak with me about this book, sharing their research and ideas, and I am grateful to all of them. David Autor, Gary Burtless, Kathryn Edin, Maria Kefalas, Edmund Phelps, Heidi Shierholz, and Bradford Wilcox were especially generous with their time. I owe a special intellectual debt to Benjamin Friedman, whose 2005 book,
The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth
, first opened my eyes to how dramatically—and in some respects, how predictably—societies can change when the economy is anemic for an extended period of time.
I leaned on many friends and associates for advice as I researched and wrote this book. Shannon Brownlee, William Cohan, Clive Crook, James Fallows, Richard Florida, James Gibney, Joshua Green, Simon Johnson, Christopher Leinberger, Christopher Orr, Hanna Rosin, Benjamin Schwarz, and Bradford Wilcox kindly read draft sections or chapters, and the book is better for their comments and critiques. My agent, Raphael Sagalyn, was also an attentive reader, in addition to all the other help he provided.
At its heart, this book is about the millions of people whose lives have gone off course since the crash. In my research and reporting, many people shared painful experiences of unemployment or foreclosure or downward mobility. I am grateful to all of them for their openness. In the main, their stories remind me daily of the pragmatism, flexibility, and personal dignity—even in hardship—that continue to define the American character.
My deepest gratitude goes to my wife, Meghan, for her patience and support throughout the writing of this book; for her many sacrifices (not least at the dinner table, where she endured far too much talk of the recession and its consequences); for her good advice; and for her energy, exuberance, and companionship, which make every day a joy.
D
ON
P
ECK
is a national-award-winning writer and a features editor at
The Atlantic
, where he covers the economy and American society, among other subjects. He lives with his wife, Meghan, in Washington, DC.