The man in the gray flannel suit

Universally acclaimed when first published in 1955, "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" captured the mood of a generation. Its title, like "Catch-22" and "Fahrenheit 451", has become a part of America's cultural vocabulary. Tom Rath doesn't want anything extraordinary out of life: just a decent home, enough money to support his family, and a career that won't crush his spirit. After returning from World War II, he takes a PR job at a television network. It is inane, dehumanizing work. But when a series of personal crises force him to reexamine his priorities-and take responsibility for his past-he is finally moved to carve out an identity for himself. This is Sloan Wilson's searing indictment of a society that had just begun to lose touch with its citizens. "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" is a classic of American literature and the basis of the award-winning film starring Gregory Peck.