A century ago, Americans were renowned as dour working stiffs. But by mid-century, the country was going on vacation. UW-Milwaukee media studies assistant professor Richard K. Popp investigates the shift in <em>The Holiday Makers</em> and finds several causes for the vacation explosion: improved transportation; federal programs originating (like so many good things) in the New Deal, which recognized vacation as a social and economic good; and business leaders who decided that vacation left workers refreshed and more productive (and gave them new opportunities to spend money). Popp's insightful study focuses on the role of advertising and magazines, especially the glossy <em>Holiday</em>, which framed expectations for good times at the end of the road (or runway).
