Author details end of American dream

The United States may be a land of opportunity no more. The "American dream"- consisting of the traditional ideals of freedom, equality and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work - turns out to be a myth, according to Howard Friedman, a statistician and health economist at the United Nations.

Friedman, a New York-born adjunct associate professor at Columbia University, drew this conclusion after systematically comparing the United States to 13 other wealthy countries in five key areas: health, education, safety, democracy and equality.

Friedman's comparisons are presented in his book, The Measure of a Nation: How to Regain America's Competitive Edge and Boost Our Global Standing. His analysis shows that the US, once a world leader, is now lagging behind in many areas.