Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069

Hailed by national leaders as politically diverse as former Vice President Al Gore and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Generations has been heralded by reviewers as a brilliant, if somewhat unsettling, reassessment of where America is heading.

William Strauss and Neil Howe posit the history of America as a succession of generational biographies, beginning in 1584 and encompassing every-one through the children of today. Their bold theory is that each generation belongs to one of four types, and that these types repeat sequentially in a fixed pattern. The vision of Generations allows us to plot a recurring cycle in American history -- a cycle of spiritual awakenings and secular crises -- from the founding colonists through the present day and well into this millenium.

Generations is at once a refreshing historical narrative and a thrilling intuitive leap that reorders not only our history books but also our expectations for the twenty-first century.

---

All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

What to Expect As You Age, 2008-11-02
Generations have traits and those traits follow a cycle. Some generations quietly serve and sacrifice for the greater good, while other generations are consumed with self. If you agree with the authors and see the cycle that they quite clearly describe, then it is useful to learn what to expect from the generation which will be holding the power in the nation when your generation is either waiting to take the reins or, more importantly, when your generation is older and dependent on those in-charge to take care of their seniors. Will there be respect or will there be a "who-cares" attitude?


3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Remarkably prescient, especially now, 2008-09-29
It all seems to be playing out as predicted, as the Boomers go at each other hammer and tong, and the Xers will ultimately have to clean up a thankless mess, with the Millenials then rolling up their sleeves and reconstituting the nation. Excellent book, and never out of date.


0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Generations, 2008-07-04
Anyone interested in the world of generations needs to have and study this time tested introduction to the subject.


3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Generations, 2008-03-27
In graduate school, an instructor once told me historians are the sociologists of yesterday. Reading this book convinced me how inaccurate this statement is. Sociologists should never attempt to write history because they haven't got a clue what they are writing about.

This book has potential and some plausible theses presented, but it just never clicked with me. First, they define the "Baby Boom" as those born between 1943 and 1960, and they seemed proud of their inclusion of the birth years 1943/4 into this group. I was born in 1961 and have never identified with the "Thirteenth" (what most now call "Gen X") generation. Most other sources extend the Baby Boom through 1964 and I agree that people born between 1961-4 have distinct beliefs and values that place them with the boomers and not the Xers.

Other reviewers of this book marvel at the authors' ability to predict the future. Hogwash. All they did was analyze the past and look for trends that repeat. This is nothing new. Market analysts and weathermen have been doing this for years (and getting it right less than 50% of the time). The four generational cycles, Idealist, Reactive, Civic, and Adaptive may reappear throughout history, but the circumstances of each make each generation more or less unique to itself. I look at my teenage children and see them disillusioned with school and the future. Thirty years ago I felt the same way. I look at my kids with trepidation as did my parents look at me. Are these generational traits or commonalities all teenagers and their parents go through. Unfortunately we all get to experience each of life's phases once so it is hard to say if the sentiments are always the same or not. We can only conclude from experience that they are.

I also found it odd that the historical evidence presented expanded greatly when these two authors started talking about those generations live (at the time they wrote this book) so they could actually talk with real life representatives of each generation. This is a sign of sociology, not history. A real historian would have top loaded the earlier generations based on evidence from primary sources. This book just didn't impress me with its historical presentations.

The truth is I just got bored with reading this book. I tried to give it a fair shake, but it just did not hit home with what I would have though a book like this would do for me. To me it doesn't predict the future at all. It offers some possibilities, but the authors themselves only entered question marks when they described the Millenial generation as "Civic." Maybe they will adapt civic traits, maybe they won't. Maybe the stock market will be up tomorrow, maybe it won't. Does it really matter?


2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Major hit after all these years!!!, 2008-01-17
Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069
I read this book fifteen years ago, and have recommended it to a huge number of people since then. I've the opportunity to view changes in history with the overview they provided so long ago--and their model always fits!! They provide the theory, and then go through each generation, showing how it fits. I refuse to lend anyone this book!! Get your own!

Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.