I feel as though this book could have been written any time from 1789 to present. Terkel interviews citizens from all over the country in different walks of life and of different races and ethnic groups. Some are optimistic--things are much better than when they were younger. Others are pessimistic, they feel that their security and status have declined. Racism, capitalistic greed, destruction of the environment seem constants. In fact, the book was published in 1980--the major change I see since that time is the increase in women in public life and the increased visibility and rights for sexual minorities. One item of interest is an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger--a very driven and goal oriented man whose body building career had reached its climax and whose motion picture career, not mentioned in the interview, was just getting started. It seems as though the American Dream is always a work in progress, failing for some, succeeding for others and being redefined as the nation changes. It is, as the subtile has it, "lost and found." ( )