The First Measured Century looks at history through the rise of widespread, systematic data collection in the twentieth century-the first measured century-allowing us to examine the past one hundred years with unprecedented clarity.

A specially commissioned feature of The First Measured Century is original 1999 research that builds on Robert and Helen Lynd's landmark sociological study of the 1920s and the first city survey in America, ''Middletown.'' Therefore, The First Measured Century offers the longest time line of consistent attitudinal data anywhere. The authors use the survey data to dispel change and continuity in mid-America (Muncie, Indiana) and to dispel widely accepted notions about social change. One of the most important changes the new research shows is an erosion of social class differences-in values, daily schedules, employment history, housework, child raising, and aspirations for the future.

This panorama of the American twentieth century unfolds in a series of key trends, each explained in a one-page essay for the general reader and illustrated by one or more vibrantly colored charts on the facing page. The First Measured Century is an essential tool for anyone with an interest in journalism, economics, history, political science, sociology, demography, public relations, business, the arts, or public policy. It is an ideal resource for students of all ages and their teachers or professors.