Book excerpt: By most accounts the economic vigor of the United States is unprecedented. Despite this collective wealth, the American middle class is struggling to live the American dream. Indeed, there are many similarities between the modern middle class, peasants in feudal societies, and sharecroppers in agrarian societies. Postindustrial Peasants describes the current plight of the middle class, then offers a multi-level recommendation designed to encourage an active response to the development of the modern "postindustrial peasant." This new work can used in a variety of classes, including Intro to sociology, social problems, culture, history, and American studies.