Contents:

Chapter 1. Attitudes and Behavior Highlights More Excitement, Less Happiness Most Would Work If Rich Americans Are Strongly Religious Marital Happiness Declines as Roles Change More Tolerance for Sex Outside of Marriage Big Gains in Racial Tolerance Most Agree Gun Control Is Needed Confidence in America's Institutions Plummets Independents Outnumber Party Loyalists Crime Is Down 39 Food Preferences Are Changing Most Households Own a Computer Chapter 2. Education Highlights Education Levels Climb Most Preschoolers Are in School SAT Scores Are Down, But . . . Most Go to College In College, Women Outnumber Men Women Earn Most Degrees Chapter 3. Health Highlights Americans Feel Better Than Ever Most Babies Are Born to Women Aged 20 to 29 People Are Fatter but Fitter Outpatient Care at Hospitals Has Soared Increasingly, Cancer Is a Treatable Condition AIDS Threat Diminishes Longer Lives, More Deaths Chapter 4. Housing Highlights Homeownership Is at Record High Homeownership Highest in the Midwest Housing Stock Has Improved Chapter 5. Income Highlights Nation Enjoys Record Affluence Most Households Have Enjoyed Rising Incomes Dual-Income Couples Boost Affluence Women's Incomes Are Rising Faster Than Men's Women Earn 73 Percent as Much as Men Less Poverty for Most Americans Chapter 6. Labor Force Highlights Face of Labor Force Has Changed Labor Force Participation Is at Record High Labor Force Rate Higher for Women, Lower for Men Women, Minorities, Gain in Occupations Diverse, High-Tech Future for Labor Force Most Married Couples Are Dual Earners Self-Employment Is Becoming Less Common Job Tenure Drops for Men More Cars, Less Carpooling Employers Get Stingy with Employee Benefits Chapter 7. Living Arrangements Highlights Lifestyles Have Changed Dramatically Fewer Households include Children More Children Live with Mother Only Changing Lifestyles of Young and Old Most People Marry, but Later Chapter 8. Population Highlights Population Becoming Older, More Diverse Mobility Rate Has Fallen Since 1950 Foreign-Born Population Is Growing Diversity Growing Faster in Some Regions Big Changes for States The Suburbs Are Home to Half of Americans Chapter 9. Spending Highlights Spending Grows with Standard of Living Householders Aged 35 to 54 Are Spending Less Black Households Saw the Biggest Gain The Rich Spend More Empty-Nesters Boost Spending Spending in the Midwest Rose the Most Chapter 10. Wealth Highlights Net Worth Rose during the 1990s Financial Assets Soared in the 1990s More Debt for Most Households For more information Glossary Bibliography Index