United States of America

Biss largely focuses her discussions in this book on the United States of America. The trends and societal dynamics she expresses are, to varying degrees, particular to the U.S. Moreover, almost every specific person she mentions is American. However, many of the concepts in the book can be applied to contexts beyond the U.S. as well.

Money and Wealth

The concepts of money and wealth are central to many of this book’s central themes. Biss seeks to interrogate how money and wealth affect human lives on an individual level, as well as on a societal level. In these exploration, Biss acknowledges certain difficult truths such as wealth disparity, while also emphasizing many ambiguities and unknown elements behind concepts like money.

Work and the Workplace

Work is relevant in the book both as a concept and as a setting. Biss often discusses...