Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface: A mainstream economist discovers his blind spots -- Introduction: Like dives before Lazarus -- Part I: The myth. Our national economic mythology -- Public belief in the myth : a survey of polling results -- An origin story for the myth : roots in the founding of the republic -- Part II: The facts. How broken are we? : low (and unequal) incomes -- How broken are we? : the distribution of wealth -- Broken work : the prevalence and characteristics of "low-quality" jobs -- The rest of the story : more signs of brokenness -- Part III: The myth versus the facts. Evidence against the the myth -- This is not the only way : international comparisons -- Part IV: Broken by design : how we have chosen to create and sustain our broken system -- The history of systems that have been shaped by the myth -- Part V: The wreckage. The loss looking forward -- The loss looking backward -- Part VI: What are you prepared to do? : the way forward. Change the narrative -- How to get there : a program to build human and financial capital -- The other half of the battle : implementation matters -- Conclusion: A vision of opportunity.