Golden Years

An “essential” ( The New Republic ) account of the history of old age in modern America, showing how we created unprecedented security for some and painful uncertainty for others On farms and in factories, Americans once had little choice but to work until death. As the nation prospered, a new idea was born: the right to a dignified and secure old age. That project has benefited millions, but it remains incomplete—and today it’s under siege. In Golden Years , historian James Chappel shows how ol