Fortune cookies? Michael Lind, who wrote the New York Times review, could not have read the same book I did. In fact, Strauss and Howe explain their method at length and devote at least 70 pages to what is surely the most specific and breathtakingly concrete narrative of the next thirty years available anywhere. If anything, The Fourth Turning errs in not having enough fortune cookies in it. (When unveiling the future, after all, a little vagueness is prudent.) Lind, on the other hand, recently wrote a book subtitled "The Fourth American Revolution" but somehow forgot to mention whether this revolution would happen two years from now or two thousand years from now. I suggest readers judge these two books by noticing which one puts its bets, if not its fortune cookies, on the table

Since Strauss and Howe first got together to write GENERATIONS, they have demonstrated uncanny insight into American culture, the rhythms of history, and what the future will likely bring. Where their particular perspective deviates from your own, you can easily interpret their insights from multiple vantage points. If your experience with Strauss and Howe's work is similar to my own, it will transform your view of the world and your life. Do yourself and others you care about a favor and read it.

I've never reviewd a book before. But i, and many other college's from here in Brazil, have felt that this book gives the best view of nuclear medicine. The language is straight foward and the topics come to us in a very simple, but important matter. This book may be used by nuclear medicine phisicians, but it may easely be read by any other phisicians or technologist's. I just hope that a new edition comes out soon aproaching new aspects of nuclear medicine like quantitative gated spect, spect-pet(FDG), scintimamography and sentinel limphnode detection and treatment. My congradulations to Mr. Palmer and to all the other contribuitor's of this magnificent book!

I've read "Untimely Meditations" in a few different translations, and Arrowsmith's is excellent (I have no German, not yet). But the special reasons to buy Arrowsmith's "Unmodern Observations" are (1)the translator was himself a man of enormous complexity and diverse gifts; and (2)at the end of the 1st Meditation ("David Strauss, Writer and Confessor"), Nietzsche appended a section analyzing the STYLE of Strauss' work, pointing out the mixed metaphors, cliches, bungled rhetorical flourishes, et cetera, with a more or less brutal intensity. Translating this appendix, which amounts to an essay on German literary style, is very daunting for obvious reasons, and most translators simply leave it out. Arrowsmith masterfully renders the whole thing, and when I read it in the library at Brandeis ten years ago I felt I was learning more about how to write than I had from any other book.

I have been a fan of the Capitol Steps for several years now. Their performances are extremely hilarious as they keep the audience laughing by wearing silly costumes, immitating politicians, and singing songs. This book tells the story of how the Capitol Steps came to be, which is somewhat interesting. It also has portions of the lyrics to their songs, but somehow they just aren't all that funny on the printed page. The book includes numerous photographs, but strangely, not one of them actually shows the Capitol Steps!

The CD that comes with it contains some of the Capitol Steps' all time classics tunes. If you don't already own the albums, this can be funny to listen to. The title is a bit misleading, though. The CD is titled "Sixteen Scandals", but it is NOT the same as the CD that the Capitol Steps released in 1997 under the same name.

This was a rather frightening, yet hysterical, trip down memory lane. So much has happened in American politics over the past 20 years. What a blessing it is to have the Capitol Steps around as the bards recording the inane antics of our elected representatives. To prove how great this book is, I've bought three copies of it - one for me and two for other friends. They are phenomenal. Here's to 20 more years of political satire!

I've been a fan of the Capitol Steps for years, having listened to them on NPR. This book takes you through their humble beginnings when they were mere Congressional Staffers worried about being fired for making fun of their bosses and through their successes of making fun of 4 Presidents. The accompanying CD is a stitch too, and well worth the money! I recommend it!

I found Strauss and Howe's hypothesis of a four-stroke generational cycle fascinating, and it does have a lot to say about groups behavior, especially how society treats its members of different ages at different points in time. It also suggests points of departure for other historical studies, like why bebop, modern science fiction, and slapstick Hollywood cartoons developed at about the same time. (A personal note; many of my favorite classical composers were born between 1860 and 1885, which nearly coincides with Strauss and Howe's "Missionary" generation.) Finally, the book has a lot to suggest about the nature of historical interpretation--how similar events occuring at different times might inspire very different reactions. The idea becomes problematic when the writers extrapolate from the behavior of groups to the behavior of individuals. First of all, some of their examples don't fit with the generations they cite. (Grace Slick, for example, was actually born in 1941, putting her in the "Silent" generation instead of the "Baby Boom".) Secondly, the profiles Strauss and Howe construct for "typical" members of particular generations are so general, it's easy to find some things descriptive of oneself and the people one knows. Because human beings tend to want to impose patterns on behavior where none may exist, these generational profiles don't necessarily have any more validity than, say, horoscopes. Another problem is that the hypothesis is only extended to the USA. While the appendix has some speculations on how the four-stroke cycle might work elsewhere, the writers don't provide the support for it that they do for this country. This leads one to wonder if the cycle applies outside the USA at all. Then too, in a time when nations interact more than ever, how societies whose generational cycles are out of sync affect one another? Again, there are some good ideas in this book, but readers should approach it with some skepticism.

Authors Neil Howe and William Strauss explore the history of American generation more in depth than in their other book The Fourth Turning. Generations is most valuable for giving the reader insight into the mind set and behavior of different generations and how they react to one another. It gives you a greater understanding of people, generations, and how they affect history. Strauss and Howe take a diplomatic approach in their evaluation of different generations stating that they have their strengths and weaknesses and hence I came up with the above title for the review to describe the book.

A basic explanation of their theory is that history moves by seasons from spring to winter. In spring, there is a civilizational high of good behavior, peace, and prosperity but also stultifying conformity and spiritual deadness. In summer, there is a consciousness revolution, in which the younger generation rebels against their elders and their institutions. In fall, there is an unraveling in which people turn inwards and focus on their private satisfactions and let public institutions and the community values fall into neglect. In winter, there is a crisis of usually war or economic depression that forces everyone to become more communal and morally strict again.

The generations are of 4 types. A prophet generation is born in a civilization high of springtime. They are inwardly focused on spiritual values. They rebel in youth, but become morally authoritarian in old age during a crisis. A nomad generation is born in a summer of consciousness revolution and aren't raised very well since their elder parents are more focused on themselves than their children. This generation is considered a lost or bad generation in which crime and immorality increase with its rising. A hero generation is born in the fall of an unraveling; they become the heroes during a crisis when they are young adults. An artist generation is born during a crisis; they are a meek and mild generation who are sensitive to other's needs and are indecisive as leaders.

When reading the book I couldn't help noting that a prophet generation often generates an unneeded crisis to solve. President George W. Bush is of a prophet generation and I kept thinking of him as a prime example of that, making Saddam Hussein to be bigger threat than he really is. I also made judgements against the artist's generations emphasis of plurality and diversity and the expense of cultural cohesion. I made judgements against the hero generation for hogging most of the public spending on themselves, letting young people fend for themselves. I made judgements against my own nomad generations for their excessive love of tasteless entertainment and general down in the dumps depression and negativity.

It was also interesting to note that during civilizational crisis and high, society is generally anti-female and pro-male in its outlook. In a consciousness revolution and an unraveling, it is general pro-female and anti-male. Depending on the times, people will general espouse philosophies that celebrate or denigrate either sex.

The current generations now living in large numbers are the G.I. elders who are heroes passing on, the Artistic Silent generation who are in elderhood, the Prophetic Baby Boomers who are entering elderhood, The Nomadic Gen Xer's who are beginning to enter middle-age, and Heroic Millennials who are beginning to move into rising adulthood. A new artistic/compromiser generation will eventually replace Millennials in the youth category.

A heroic generation usually values conformity over individualism and they tend to be rationalistic and secular. They build public institutions and generally are young adults during a prosperous, optimistic age. An Artist generation is known for its high educational level and professional expertise. A Prophet genereration is known for its focus on inward idealistic spiritual values and its weakening educational levels. A Nomad generation is known as pragmatic, cynical, unbelieving, pessimistic and poorly educated generation who are middle-aged technical managers of a crisis era. They are wild as kids and young adults, but cautious and reactionary as older people. Each generation rebels against the values of the others, which has a tendency to balance out any excesses given to any one value.

The authors give famous examples of different generational types, some of which fit the type while others don't. The ones that don't are interesting to note: Norman Rockwell, that creator of wholesome Americana art was from the bad Lost generation. He seems more like Hero generational type. Andrew Jackson, that Southern hell-raiser who chased a rival with a knife in the days of his youth was of the supposedly meek and mild Artist/Compromiser generation. He seems more like a Bad/ Nomadic generational type.

A friend of mine lent me this book a few weeks ago. Skeptical about any book purporting to predict the future, I immediately read their predictions section - after all, the book was published ten years ago. To my surprise, I found that their predictions for 1992-2002 were largely correct! So I started again, at the beginning. The book is a work of genius.

The central tenet of this book is that generations don't age the same way, and when looking at generations through history, the correct way to look at them is by cohort - that is, by groups with similar birth years - rather than by age. In other words, if you're born in 1950 and grow up in the '60s and '70s, you'll be different at age 50 than you will if you're born in 1970 and grow up in the '80s and '90s. Strauss and Howe then trace a number of generational cohorts through American History, and find evidence of a cycle of generational types - usually a four part cycle, but in one case a three part cycle. For example, they liken Gen X (whom they call "13ers"), born in 1961-1980, to the "Lost" generation born in the late 1800s.

As a trailing edge boomer, born in 1960, I was not surprised to find that the authors, both boomers, correctly identify the defining characteristics of my generation - characteristics that I happen to dislike, as I'm in the minority that don't fit the mold that well, but that I have to acknowledge as accurate for the majority. On the other hand, the description of the Silent generation, to which my parents belong, was an eye opener - it explained well why my fathers views of what different stages in a man's life are like seemed so alien to me. The description of Gen X was likewise enlightening, both in terms of explaining some of my previous business interactions with Gen Xers (they always seem so surprised when someone actually gives them a break - turns out it's because they hardly ever get breaks) and helped me understand and interact much better with one particular Gen X who is very important to me - my wife. The description of the Millenials seems to be accurate so far for undergraduates I work with.

Two caveats when reading this book - first, remember it's American history, and the conclusions don't apply to those born overseas; second, the authors seem to emphasize the optimistic view of the future, for example focusing on the possibility that the current cycle will be a triumphant four part cycle, rather than an agonizing three part cycle as the Civil War cycle was.

At any rate, I'm now buying my own copy. I just wish I could find a hardcover, but hopefully it will still be in print when the paperback I'm buying wears out from repeated reference in a few years.

For anyone who likes history, this book is an uneven, but overall excellent and very enjoyable, series of exercises in "counterfactual" history. Not the silly, frivolous, or nonsensical kind, where Robert E. Lee all of a sudden is given a nuclear bomb, but instead serious, meaty (even highly PROBABLE) ones, like what would have happened if there hadn't been a mysterious plague outside the walls of Jerusalem, or if there had been a Persian victory at Salamis, or if Genghis Khan's drunken third son (Ogadai)had not died just as his hordes were poised to conquer (and probably annhilate) Europe, or if Cortes had been killed or been captured Tenochtitlan, etc.

The major flaw with this book is that the essays are of somewhat uneven interest level, style, and quality. Personally, for instance, I found the essay on the Mongols to be fascinating, sending chills down my spine! "D Day Fails" by Stephen Ambrose, on the other hand, didn't do much for me at all, nor did "Funeral in Berlin." In general, I would say that the essays covering earlier periods in human history tend to be better than ones covering more recent history. Possibly this is in part because the later periods have been covered to death. I mean, how many "counterfactuals" on the US Civil War can there be before we get sick of them? But a well-written, tightly-reasoned counterfactual which, based on events hundreds or even thousands of years ago, quite plausibly leads to a result where there is no Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, or Western culture at all, is absolutely fascinating in my opinion. If nothing else, books like "What If?" show how important CHANCE is in human history, as well as the importance of the INDIVIDUAL, as opposed to some Hegelian/Marxist-Leninist historical "inevitability." The bottom line is that it is rare that anything is truly "inevitable", and the aptly titled "What If?" gives us some excellent case studies.

Who hasn't wondered about a decision not taken or the string of uninterrupted causation that is required for any single person to exist? Think about your own life: the chain of events which resulted in your parents meeting; how you ended up in your current job; the college you attended; you never attended college; or how you met your current significant other. We are all shaped by historical choices, both ones made by ourselves, and those made on a scale that can alter history.

"What If?" gathers some of the world's foremost military historians to offer hypothetical counterfactuals, including: What If Alexander the Great had died in battle at the age of 21, before he had built an empire? What if the American Revolution had resulted in disaster? What if certain key battles in the American Civil War had changed? This is fun reading as it is always interesting to consider alternative paths not taken or paths unavailable by happenstance.

This book contains a number of excellent examples of counterfactual speculation, with only a few medicore essays. The authors examine how individual actions can have an impact as can the whims of weather.

This is an enjoyable book and, because of the broad area of military history, invites the potential for sequels. For example: One counterfactual I've always wondered about occurred in December of 1814 here in my home town of New Orleans. A prosperous son of Creole planters was awakened by the sound of British troops landing at the back of his plantation. Young Mr. Villere jumped out the window and headed for New Orleans, dodging a shot from a British sentry. Villere arrived in New Orleans and spread the alarm. Gen. Andrew Jackson gathered his forces and launched a surprise attack on the British. The British, unsure of the forces facing them, slowed their advance to give time to consolidate their forces. This gave Jackson time to throw up some defenses on the plains of Chalmette. Within 2 weeks the British had been defeated after suffering enourmous casualties attempting to storm Jackson's fortifications.

But what if the British sentry had not missed young Mr. Villere? Had the British continued their advance it is conceivable that these veterans of the Peninsular campaign could have won the Battle of New Orleans. Today people only remember that the Battle of New Orleans was fought after a peace treaty had been signed. But the treaty had not yet been ratified. Further, in the treaty the British recognized the status of borders prior to the war. But Britain had never recognized the Louisiana purchase, as the Spainish had violated a treaty with Britain when Spain secretly sold Louisiana to France. Britain could have attempted to keep New Orleans. This would have meant a widening of the war. It also begs the following question: Would there have been sufficient British troops to win at Waterloo?

As you can see counterfactual speculation leads to a never ending string of alternative possibilities. But it is enjoyble to speculate, as is "What If?"

Heard the taped version of WHAT IF?: THE WORLD'S FOREMOST
MILITARY HISTORIANS IMAGINE WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, edited
by Robert Cowley . . . I often speculate about lots of things, and so do the contributors to this book--including Stephen E. Ambrose, John Keegan, David McCollough, and James M. McPherson (to name just a few).

For example, what if:
George Washington had never made his miraculous escape
from the British on Long Island in the early dawn of August 29, 1776?

a Confederate aide hadn't accidentally lost General Robert E. Lee's plans for invading the North?

the Allied invasion on D Day had failed?

These and a whole host of other questions are considered . . . the resultant answers are often fun, but at the same time, sometimes frightening . . . as in, Hitler's case . . . had he not attacked Russia when he did, he might have moved into the Middle East and secured the oil supplies the Third Reich so badly needed, thus helping it retain its power in Europe . . . can you just imagine the present-day implications for that scenario?

If you're a history buff, this is a MUST read . . . but methinks
that others will enjoy it and become much more interested
in the subject as a result . . . I know that I'm now looking
forward to Coweley's follow-up effort, WHAT IF? 2.

This is one of the most important books about history that was ever written. This introduces an ancient concept of cyclic time, and makes it new again. The sub-title "An American Prophecy" might be a little misleading when you read the book, but that's only because of reader's expectations. Many people are expecting a Nostradamus type prediction of the future piece by piece. That's not what this book is about, and they clearly state it in the book. This book is about the cycles of time, and how they have affected past events, and what they tell us about the future. One reviewer on this website has called this work "New Age Astrology." That reviewer is very closed-minded. He makes prejudical statements about the book, and one wonders if he read the whole thing. This book is FAR from astrology because astrology depends upon blind faith to succeed. This book succeeds not because of blind faith in some New Age religion, but because of its nearly perfect track record. The authors of these books have realized that American society goes through cycles of time. These cycles have been nearly precise, and are subject to anonalies, but this book succeeds because history shows that many of the events in America happen over and over again. Also the events that happened between 1946 and today are shown to have a historical precedence, and this is made clear. The proof is in our history. If you want proof, ask people in society, and consult historical sources, and you will come to the same conclusion. So far, when talking to many people in society, this book has not failed me once. This is proof enough about the authenticity of this book. The same review said that this book disregards all of the scientific, technological, and intellectual advancements. I my analysis of this book the author misses many of these developments because they are unnecessary. The book shows that no matter what comes along, they, too, are subject to the cycles of time, and a historical analysis of technologies such as cars, radios, television, and of social movements such as feminism, civil rights, and new age religions prove this very point. The authors merely say that circular and linear time are equally important, and that they actually help the other. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about the future, and of this nation. The historical events have repeated themselves throughout history, and why should today be any different? We are not more special than the other generations who had to go through the seasons of time. Each time I read the book, it gets better because I get more and more from it, and therefore, am able to fit the theory into actual and historic life. If you doubt this book, go seek info from primary sources, be they your children, friends, peers, parents, grand-parents, or grand-children, and you will see how right this book is. I will reiterate that the point of this book is not predicting the EXACT future, but the RELATIVE future, which will be enough to get us through the Fourth Turning successfully. Anyone who is familiar with Chaos Theory know that predicting the exact future is impossible, because the individual parts in continous flux, but the the relative future can be foretold because the behavior of the whole is predictable. If you use this book correctly and wisely, you will gain an amazing amount of insight about the past generations, the future generations, and your place in ths history of this nation. If you use this piece of work incorrectly, you will not gain from this. Plus knowing that a crisis is coming, and trying to figure out what it will be is much more fun and intriguing than if you already knew exactly the details of the next crisis, don't you think?

I picked up "The Fourth Turning" four years ago at a public garage sale and was captivated by its prediction. After reading chapter after chapter of amazing parallels in past generations across history I knew that the authors were on to something and it felt so evident that there really was a period of life-shattering crisis up for us in the near future; it was evident enough after reflecting on the thought that anything has to grow through cycles of change, decay and rebirth. When the planes hit the towers on September 11, 2001, I was convinced that this it indeed and enjoyed a special moment of silence reading back over my book as I was completely sure by now we were in for twenty years of a changed mood rather than just a single shocking event. Eventually the shock from September 11 disippated, the months went by, and I realized we were still in the Third Turning after all. But still I'll never forget the exciting prophecies of an era of crisis that "The Fourth Turning" has in offer. And that still have a chance, and a destiny, to come true in not too many years.

Member of the 13th Generation? Millenial Generation? The Boomers? Care to track your own development through the maze of historical events to find out where you've been, and more importantly, where you are going? Where our country is going? Then pick this book up immediately. Simply put, the "Fourth Turning" is THE most important book written in the last twenty years, and a book that should be required reading.

Strauss and Howe apparently have devoted their lives to the study of history and the development of generations in societies. The book is loaded, and I mean, loaded with historical references, some of which I wasn't familiar with until now. By looking at these events, and more importantly, looking at the people that went along with those events, Strauss and Howe noticed some recurring patterns in generations over the centuries. Apply this pattern to our country, and to our future, they have correctly predicted that we are headed for a "Fourth Turning", a time of great criss and peril.

Normally, I shun books that people claim to have "visions of the future" involved with them. They are frequently erroneous and based on the whims of the author. However, "The Fourth Turning" is different. By basing their theories of the future on past events, they offer support and credence to their thoughts. The effect is both enlightening and chilling, but it is one that we simply cannot ignore.

I found every single page of their book fascinating as a study or recent history and future history. Also, I personally found self-enlightenment in reading about the generation in which I belong, the long lost "Gen X" crowd, or the title they label it, "13th". It explains a lot about the world in which I was raised, and the world we live in today.

One chilling fact: this book was written in 1997, and the authors predicts a calamatous and unimaginable event in the early part of the 2000s that would signify the start of the Fourth Turning. Who can read this book and not think of September 11th?

Don't delay. Read this book. We are entering a winter in our times, and those people prepared with that knowledge certainly will have a more steady base in the fourth turning to come.

A book filled with random quotes and cartoons throughout the text is filled with information agreeable and disagreeable to us. We felt that our generation is materialistic and the concept of "premature affluence" was relevant. We agree that the older generations think we are "dumb, slackers." We disagree with points such as 13ers being drug-addicted and having no future careers(just McDonalds Workers). The book isn't about our age group. It is generalized on certain groups of kids in our generation(the bad kids). We recommend that the book be updated. It is more about the older part of our generation than about us(mostly about teens of the 80s). Overall, we didn't agree or like the book 13th Gen.

When I first perused this book, I steeled myself for another flood of invective from former Education Secretary and baby boomer pit bull William Bennett and his ilk about how everyone and anyone born between 1961 and 1981 (the 13th generation born in the US) is an illiterate thug at worst or a attention-deficient con artist at best.

I was pleasantly surprised. Neil Howe and Bill Strauss, with a format capturing my (I confess, I'm a 13er too) peer group's main modes of expression, slick images and reproduced Internet mail messages and chat, counterpointed by an abundance of statistical and historical data, produce a fascinating and ultimately hopeful assessment of an age group that to many "just doesn't fit."

The authors think this is so because of key events in 13ers' early lives--the effect of a long parade of inept leaders, faddish educators and errant parents, a rising information overload and endless elder doomsaying. This, along with the gut-wrenching changes in the US society and economy that were and still are occurring, left them on their own emotionally and physically quite early and socially and economically so as time passed.

Howe and Strauss believe these and related experiences taught 13ers to think pragmatically, act quickly and be ever-resourceful in the face of an often absurd and always overwhelming, fast-moving world. The authors dismiss the mainstream alarmist hype and conclude these and other streetwise skills of 13ers will serve the nation well when it's their turn to "take command" in the next century.

This book is a must read for anyone who is twentysomething in the 1990's. It rebels against the common misconceptions of today's younger adults. As a 13'er (born in 1974) I adored the quotes the comments and the jokes, and appreciated the points that the authors were trying to make about education and the assumptions that the older generations, ie boomers try to make about where the world is heading with the MTV generation at the helm. The definitive bible of the generation, Generation X by Douglas Copeland should hand over its title to this work by Neil Howe et al. It is far more identifiable and much more entertaining. The cartoons are very well done as well. For example as a political activist I understood the cartoon of MTV's Rock the Vote(with someone attempting to vote via pressing a button on the remote control)altogether too well!! Just read it, you be glad you did.

I give this book a very high rating, not because I believe everything in it, but because the authors (unlike most 'Gen Y' marketers) recognize a change. And there has been a huge change, which anyone who lived through the 60s and 70s can see. True, lots of kids are irritated with the restrictions placed on them. But, confronted with similar restrictions in the 60s, we bombed buildings. It's the response that's significant.

Some reviewers who identify themselves as Millennials are very angry about this book. To be blunt, 10 years ago no kid would have given a second thought about its contents. If nothing else, Millennials care what people think about them, and that is massive change.

Second: Any young person who thinks they're radical or rebelling should check out a book like David Frum's How We Got Here: The 1970s. Current generations can't begin to match the radical climate of that time.

Third: It's true that the stats in the book are biased, and reflect the upper-middle class. But this is exactly what happened in the 1960s -- the revolt started with wealthy college students at Ivy League schools and spread to the rest of society over the next 20 years.

Fourth: Howe & Strauss do mention the recent rise in drug use, in particular pot. Their actual claim is that if pot use becomes accepted, it will fill the same role that alcohol did for earlier generations -- just check out a film from the 50s and see them getting smashed at every turn. Not a biggie.

Finally, I should note that this book is very well written. Part of the anger in reviews comes from this source. It gets people excited. If it were a dry statistics text it wouldn't arouse such ire.

William Strauss and Neil Howe continue with their theories about history being affected by different generations because of the the way the generations are raised behave a certain way. This time they focus on the youthful Millennial generation which they say will be quite unlike Gen X or the Boomers. They say they will be more conformist and better behaved than these other generations because they have been raised in a heavily monitored environment in which team playing is emphasized. Their weakness may be that they could be become big brother's dream children since they may be unable to think or act independently from the group, even when their peer group may be going in the wrong direction.

Strauss and Howe's theories seem to have justification, but there are other theories that historians and social scientists have come up with and the authors do not address the validity of these theories very much. One being that a civilization rises to its peak with traditional values and then falls apart gradually by rejecting these traditional values for new gods and liberalism. It would have been interesting to have them react to such a theory. I also thought that by not addressing other theories of civilizational history, it made their some of their comments on the increasing multiculturalization of America seem naive at times. Given the previous theory I have mentioned, such multiculturation of America will cause its decline, not improve it.

This book is one of their more entertaining books that I have read by them. They have sidebar comments from millennials and about millennials that are amusing and interesting much of the time. They also have funny cartoons about millennials throughout the book. This makes the book more interesting than other books of social analysis.

Strauss and Howe say that the millennials will be the next hero generation that may be asked to fight another total war. That may be so, but in a way, I hope not. The more I study history, the more I learn that the wars we fight are usually total rackets and unjustified, no matter how much they are glorified afterwards because our soldiers sacrifice themselves in them. True heroic citizens stay informed and skeptical and make sure that the government is not hoodwinking them into another useless war.

That being said this is still a useful book and I use the authors' theories all the time when analyzing events, social institutions, and the arts and entertainment.

This book deals with a difficult topic of labeling a Generation "on the whole" with character traits and memories, in a generation raised by parents whose goal in parenting was specifically to raise individuals! Nevertheless, these authors have done a great job of summing up valuable information, statistics, and feedback from all age-groups on the topics of millenials. If you are just getting into the "Millenial generation" this book is excellent, especially if you don't feel you need to be told yet again how negative these kids are, how dangerous, how doomed, and how unredeemable they are. You've probably heard all that before on the evening news anyway.