Caught in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, Patrick Lovell, one of 10 million people who lost their homes, finds himself asking why he and so many Americans were blindsided by the economy's implosion. How could his pursuit of the American Dream - starting a business, providing for his new family, and owning a home - drive him to financial ruin? Coinciding with the exponential growth of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, Lovell embarks on a cross-country journey to discover what happened to the America originally founded to be free from tyranny. Conversations with a broad spectrum of energy and political academics, OWS protestors, professional developers, real estate agents, and attorneys all lead to the same conclusion: the system is broken. FORWARD 13: WAKING UP THE AMERICAN DREAM provides a fresh, personal perspective on the mortgage crisis and its ties to big government and big oil/natural gas. And while the road to recovery is a long and difficult one, there are clear, sustainable methods to revive the American Dream.