Millennials Rising : The Next Great Generation

Rating:
Summary: A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
Review: I was hoping to find a book that would place its finger on the pulse of American youth culture. Instead I got a book I found utterly useless. The book talks about teens in one county in Virginia. The authors write about the attitudes based on surveys of kids in Fairfax County, VA. Their surveys of the class of '00 only apply to one county. As for observations, they quote a few national statistics where they have them available (teen pregnancy, employment, economy, etc.), but their observations on teen attitudes and culture all talk only about the teens of Fairfax County. The teens in my area are very different from those the authors surveyed (and thank goodness, in some respects!) Just about all of this book is inapplicable to the nation as a whole.

Rating:
Summary: The Next Fascist Generation
Review: As this volume itself notes, it is nothing new that the mass media have been saturating a vulnerable public with depressing news about the youth generation. Howe and Strauss ironically present the most depressing doom and gloom of all in this book. They advertise that their book will rekindle the reader's psyche with uplifting, good news about kids today, and yet there is nothing positive or reassuring about this book's message. It describes the next generation as unremittingly fascist, time and time again, all in the name of greatness. The authors believe they will prove themselves in the path of the "GI" Generation, the elderly of today who fought and won World War II and emerged afterwards as the recipients of Social Security and college bills, the inhabitants of Levittown, and the blacklisting of Communists. Is THAT all we have to look forward to in terms of what will make this generation great? Power is all in teamwork at the death of the individual. These two authors believe that the generation born 1982 to the present will dive wholesale into working in society's institutions and forsake personal and cultural life. School uniforms, zero tolerance policies and rigorous testing are all lauded as they will put this generation in training to dress alike, think alike, buy the same products, and vote alike. To back up such shocking new generalizations that these kids will be a group of fascists, they quote all sort of surveys, scientific or not. Rather than sifting through and picking only the responsible data gatherers and polling organizations, they freely report unmeticulously designed studies to support the points they make about this generation. Millennials Rising claims that this generation is so fascist it accepts the hypocrisy of their elders and the stricter rules of conduct imposed on children and teens than their parents impose on themselves or obeyed in their own youth. It predicts repreatedly that Millennials will go down the path of forever pushing for discipline, law and order, trust, more structure, harsher enforcement of rules. They will be completely civic in their mind-set, the state and the state only. The stark telling of a gloomy eschatology goes onto announce that this generation will reject the Silent Generation's call for civil rights and focus only on fighting for their nation. It even states the main flaw of this group as being following a leader off a cliff and being too good at following orders. The alleged "greatness" of this generation will prove, during the future crisis, to include its willing acceptance of the draft, refusal to burn its draft cards, and a complete and utter renouncement of any pacifism Millennials may previously have had. The generation is described as poised to become a perfect Gestapo, and considering that the authors so unflailingly assert Millennials will follow authority and leaders so blindly, they are in the perfect position to follow a completely fascist leader at all expense of morals, unable to think for themselves at the injustice they may put on the world. The GI Generation in Germany underwent this as they became the infamous Hitler Youth, and if these adolescents of today are really so uncritically receptive of the leashes and zero tolerance policies adults have strapped onto them, they are prime candidates for becoming the next Hitler Youth if a crisis comes, causing irreparable damage, social injustice and militaristic global carnage and ecological destruction. This book serves mainly as a vehicle to expedite a fascist army-style training of youth, and has no positive hopes for the young generation, or for the future -- only a future of fascism.

Rating:
Summary: Foresight 20/20
Review: Having just finished this book, I am amazed to find so many people disagreeing. This book conclusively resembles my life--And I was born in 82! The book itself seems not to be an insult to Boomers or Gen Xers, and not even a complement to Millennials; it takes into account painstaking research and uses it to make delicate generalizations about an entire generation of Americans.

Whoa! That's a big deal AND really hard to do! I understand the disgressions people have with parts of the theory, but it's been my experience that the Strauss/Howe model is a complete understanding of American history. (And it works!) Reviewing their predictions since 1991, Strauss and Howe have precisely calculated the heartbeat of American culture and given an equation that is practical and applicable to all of their readers.

In regards to my own generation, I read this book and recalled their portrayal of Millennials to be very descriptive of my own childhood environment. Living in the cusp of third and fourth turning societies, I can't help but recognize all of the social trends with greater awareness after reading this book.

I more generally found the book a delightful read. Strauss and Howe's writing is natural and easy to read and understand. Even if you have no dealings with cultural anthropology or today's youth, I still recommend this book for it's value of collected information about our society, and its implications, in a very reader friendly way.

Rating:
Summary: Insulting trash
Review: This is a flimsy attempt to show that our kids (probably the authors' own kids especially) are perfect angels. The examples and evidence they use are weak, and at times downright dubious. They waste too much time insulting other generations and saying how horrible Xers and Boomers are or were in comparision. They continually bash Generation X culture by talking about how it's so full of doom, and that's so unpleasant and awful! They keep praising the younger generation by talking about how boy bands will drive out Generation X counterculture, and that that "cleaning up" of culture is going to be the Millennials' great accomplishment. It's like Generation X's culture is a nasty rat or insect pest that needs to be eradicated to make way for something wonderful and wholesome. They use the term "cleaning up" about 200 times in this book. As for Gen X, the authors describe us as "a waste of social energy".

Test scores went up with early Xers. But Strauss and Howe use the statistic to prove that *Millennials* are a better generation. Crime went down with people born in the seventies, but they give the Millennials credit for lowering crime. "Oh, look, teen crime is down! That means the *Millennials* are improving the world!" Whatever they like, they will credit to the Millennials. Whatever they don't like, the authors will credit to Generation X. Britney Spears and the boy bands? They say those are Millennials cleaning up the culture, even though those pop stars were born before 1982. They attribute the Harry Potter phenomenon to the Millennials, without giving a word of credit to the Xer (J. K. Rowling) who writes the books or to all her Generation-X peers who appreciate her books. But the two teens who killed 13 kids at Columbine High School? Oh, well. They were just "relics" of the Xer teen era.

Buy this book if you want to hear a bunch of statements about how Xers are so dark and nasty and Boomers were so vulgar and irresponsible but now they've shaped up, or if you want to read that children and teens today are goody-goody little robots who will thereby make the world *wonderful*. Otherwise, don't even bother with it.

Rating:
Summary: Someone who doesn't know kids
Review: Okay, I don't usually write reviews on Amazon, but when I found a bookthat got today's teens so completely wrong, I had to writesomething. The kids at my high school are nothing like the book sayswe are. Kids do things whether their parents want them to or not. Themajority of people at my school are doing drugs, and certainly thevast majority drink. All the zero tolerance policies haven't changedanything, because the truth is that teens aren't going to listen toadults like little automatons.

I thought it was so stupid the waythis book said teenagers have nothing to rebel against any more. Havethese guys actually TALKED with any teenagers? Most students at myschool rebel against the unfair school rules and hypocriticalteachers. One student at my school got suspended because he put up awebpage (from his HOME computer) that made fun of the school. We haveone teacher who flunks everyone he doesn't like regardless of how wellthey do on tests. Students are being forced to go to a place wheretheir rights are stripped away and they are being taught that there isnothing good about America and that the first Amendment meansnothing. And the dress codes only teach students to rebel too. Justbecause your school bans tank tops or hair dyes doesn't mean kidswon't wear them. There are tank tops all over school! And black isprobably the most popular color at our school (except maybe forblue/denim). They quoted someone saying "Go to any high schooland you hardly ever see kids wearing black...clothing", butthere's tons of it every day, RIGHT HERE! Did the authors even botherto check their facts? Teenagers also rebel against hypocriticalparents. The book stated that "hypocritical" and"strict" were the two adjectives teens used most often todescribe their parents, but it still said we like the rules anyway!What a load of tripe. My classmates still rebel against their parentsand know when they are in the wrong. Most of them hate authority.

The authors of this book say that the punkish kids shot up Columbinebecause they felt alone when the campus population shifted from punksto jocks and preppies because Generation X was replaced by a newgeneration. But the reports on the shooting talked about how Columbinewas known as "the jock school" and "AbercrombieHigh" for years and had always won the statechampionship. Columbine was totally centered in on jocks long beforethe Class of 2000 came in and the shooters' isolation has nothing todo with generations.

All William Strauss and Niel Howe talk aboutis how we want more discipline and "order" and stricterrules. This book makes us sound like fascists. Half the statements inhere are completely false. I saw something just the other day that 70%of teenagers are against restrictions of teens' Internet use. If youreally want to read about what kids are thinking, go find some otherbook on the subject.

Rating:
Summary: No new generation
Review: The freshman class at Montclair University this year turned out exactly like the last one. Despite all this talk of a new generation entering the college campus, I see nothing but the same old generation. This book says the class of 2000 is totally different, but my freshman classes are all full of kids who dress the same (predominantly dark clothes, a lot of hair-dyes, wallet-chains, etc.), are no more (or less) motivated to team-working, and are no more trusting of adults than the last generation. Their attitude toward class and the classwork is no different from that of my previous classes either, for better nor for worse. I've talked with other instructors and deans who work here and they see the same thing - that they haven't observed any differences between the kids graduated from the high-school class of 2000 and those from the classes of '99 or '97. This book quotes hundreds of people who say they've noticed the "Millennial" generation of teenagers being noticeably unlike Generation X. I could easily gather quotes from people such as myself who observe no difference (both from the instructors and from the new students themselves, as a matter of fact, as I have heard them telling me). I wonder at the fact that these authors compiled so many quotations in the book's sidebars from people who notice youth as having changed, but none at all from those who haven't. That makes me wonder whether the authors actually found no one who noticed the teenagers of today as being different, or whether they excluded all those quotes and actually reported only the observations of people who agreed with them.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Book About Our Generation
Review: As a word of warning, if you have not already, I would recommend that you read Strauss and Howe's other books, which are "Generations", "13th Gen", and "The Fourth Turning". All three of those books are VERY good, so I suggest that you read it. If you are not familiar with any of their earlier works, you will probably not be able to follow this book. But if you are familiar with their works, then you should have no problem getting through this.

After reading "The Fourth Turning" so many times over and over, these two authors release another groundbreaker, that will be revered. It all started with "Generations", in 1991, which was a book that told the history of all American generations, from birth to death. They noticed certain generational cycles, and how different lineups produced different results in society. At the end, they decided to make a few predictions. This book was an instant classic. They then made another book in 1993 called "13th Gen", which was another classic, that uses the generational theory, and tells society about the 13th Generation (generation x), and why they are the way they are. This book also became a classic, and helped many people understand Xers. As the 1990s wore on, their predictions became stunningly correct , and using their theory, they set out to write a new book, warning society that a period of upheaval as severe as the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Great Depression/World War II was going to start around 2005. This book called "The Fourth Turning", became another instant classic, and expanded on "Generations" by putting emphasis on "Turnings" which is the result of different Generational Lineups. They made even new predictions of each generation. Today, in 2000, they are again remarkably true. Their predictions for the Millennial Generation in "The Fourth Turning" came true, which was a surprise to many people expecting for the generation to just become a worse Generation X.

In the late 1990s, the duo decided to write a new book, which is "Millennials Rising", the book that I am reviewing now. This book is the latest in the Strauss/Howe collection. The authors took on a new challenge, which was to write about a generation before they fully came of age, and eventually their entire life cycle. And of course, they use their generational theory, which has NEVER failed. As a result, they know what to look for, and what questions to ask, to get the answers he needs for the making of the book. In this book, the authors compare the Millennials to the World War II "Greatest Generation" (GI Generation), to the Baby Boomers, and to Generation X. One of the most remarkable things about Millennials is that they are the opposite of Boomers, just as Boomers were the opposite of the GI Generation. The book starts by telling us their location in history, how society reacted to the new generation, and how Millennials began to perceive the world. So far, how society reacted to this generation, how they perceive them, and Millennials themselves see the world is dead on correct. What he says in the book is true to my surroundings. Later on, he probes how Millennials currently view the world. He does this in minute detail, trying to get whatever he can out of the new generation. One thing is that the authors know what to look for by using their generational theory. As a result of this, he optained results that would surprise most people, but would not surprise anyone familiar with their previous works. Late in the book, the authors at last get to the future of the Millennials, and by using his theory, he shows us that there are very striking similarities between Millennials and older generations, such as Tom Browkaw's Greatest Generation and the Generation of 1776. Even now, already, you can see some of his new predictions for the Millennials. By looking at how Millennials perceived the recent elections, the authors have just scored some more points. In a sea of books that say that our generation is degenerate, and that we don't have a real future, Millennials Rising is real refresher. The book basically tells society that instead of being cynical and alienated, we are becoming upbeat and engaged, and I see (and experience) more evidence as time goes on. Basically, if the theory holds true, then the Millennials will set the course for the revitalization of politics, institutions, community, and civic habits just as Boomers set the course for the revitalization of culture, morals, and self during the 1960s and 1970s. This means that Millennials will homogenize the culture, bring the races together, put community over self, and become the most politically and institutionally powerful generation in living memory, as they wrestle it from the older generations. But of course, every generation comes with their bad points. While the Boomers excessively smoke pot and other drugs, and are a politically weak generation, Millennials have a dark side. The authors talk about this major darkside as if he is trying to warn other generations. And even this darkside is not what you expect. Millennials might follow leaders too blindly, and as a politically, collectively, and institutionally powerful generation, they may be very hard to stop should they be led in the wrong direction. This book tells society about the good and bad sides of this generation. This books tells society that we are doing much better than everyone thinks. This book tells society how to deal with Millennials, how to use their core traits to help better society. Most of all, the book tells society that Millennials deserve a chance to make their mark on society, and the mark Millennials can make might overwhelm many people, and tells everyone to "celebrate the youth of America".

Rating:
Summary: Beneficial book for leaders.
Review: Millennials Rising is a book that I strongly recommend to anyone that is seriously trying to communicate to and influence the youth of today. As the other books that have been done by Howe and Strauss the research is outstanding. What I appreciate and value is that the book was not done with a "linear, mechanistic" approach. That the youth of today are just the same and that formula approaches are the way to go! Quite the contrary, the book is not polarized in its view of youth today but rather presents a fresh look at a cohort of people that are unique.

To better understand Millennials Rising I would recommend that the other books by Howe and Strauss be read, in particular "Generations" and "The Fourth Turning."

More authors should go on-line as Howe and Strauss did on their web site and invite dialogue and subjects that they write on. To often we get opinions only and all opinions are equal. What we do not get is research and analysis that comes through dialogue in the "market place."

Rating:
Summary: Contrived Polyannaism
Review: This is contrived drivel from two boomer parents who want to tell everyone that their children are the best. They create definitions of generation that are totally subjective and meaningless and create a revised selective history of the last century to support their conclusion that people born on or after January 1, 1982 (not December 30, 1981) are the next "hero generation." They unconscionably dismiss Generation X as a waste of social enegy. Boomers were only rebelling against restrictive institutions and had no support from the "G.I" generation, but they forget about civil rights where leadership was from mixed generations and that some of the major catalysts were actions by boomers in college and high school in places like Greenville and Birmingham. They see World War II as a war of the "G.I." generation but ignore the length of the conflict and intergenerational actions of leaders like Eisenhower, Marshall, or Bradly and the young troops they led. Everyone in every generation is lumped into the same mold formed from popular media reviews and biased analysis.

The authors should be commended for trying to write a positive book about children. They should do so without trashing other groups with trite generalizations, rewriting history, or using selective sociology.

Rating:
Summary: a revolution calling
Review: Millennial's Rising is, currently, the most authoritative book on America's emerging generation. I have been working with youth in Southern California for well over half a decade, and there has been an extreme shift in the qualities and characteristics of today's youth culture. This book gives us a deep pulse on the heart beat of our young people...what makes them work! It is the best resource I have found in any circle concerning the subject. If you are a concerned parent, an enlightened teen, or a heroic worker with youth - purchase this book!

A Youth Worker - David