Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation by Neil Howe, William Strauss, R. J. Matson (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

By the authors of the bestselling 13th Gen, the first in-depth examination of the Millennials--the generation born after 1982.

"Over the next decade, the Millennial Generation will entirely recast the image of youth from downbeat and alientated to upbeat and engaged--with potentially seismic consequences for America." --from Millennials Rising

In this remarkable account, certain to stir the interest of educators, counselors, parents, and people in all types of business as well as young people themselves, Neil Howe and William Strauss introduce the nation to a powerful new generation: the Millennials. They will also explain:

Why today's teens are smart, well-behaved, and optimisitc, and why you won't hear older people say that.

Why they get along so well with their Boomer and Xer parents.

Why Millennial collegians will bring a new youth revolution to America's campuses.

Why names like "Generation Y" and "Echo Boom" just don't work for today's kids.

Having looked at oceans of data, taken their own polls, and talked to hundreds of kids, parents, and teachers, Howe and Strauss explain how Millennials are turning out to be so dramatically different from Xers and boomers and how, in time, they will become the next great generation.

Publishers Weekly

The phrase "kids these days" is infused with new meaning in this look at the generation born between 1982 and 2000. Arguing against the conventional wisdom that junior high and high school kids are disrespectful, violent and alienated, Howe and Strauss (Generations; 13th Gen) demonstrate that the children of boomers and of older members of Generation X are actually harder workers and better community builders than any generation since the G.I.s'. "Millennials," the authors argue, are different from Gen-Xers: they have grown up in a multicultural country and have never known a recession; they are wanted children (as the increase in both birth control and fertility drugs demonstrate); and protected by an unprecedented number of child-centered laws. Since birth, they have been spurred to achievement in the home, by yuppie parents, and at school, by standardized tests and "zero tolerance" disciplinary measures. The authors show how easily Millennials have swallowed all the efforts on their behalf. School uniforms, as well as uniform-like Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch clothing, are popular. Teen sex is less frequent, and virginity seems to be a cool new trend. Howe and Strauss run into a bit of trouble when they insist that each generation corrects the mistakes of the previous one. They also attempt to link Millennials to the G.I. generation, suggesting that "hero generations" come in cycles. Despite these stabs at pop sociology, this well-substantiated demographic and cultural overview of the teen landscape is intriguing and highly amusing. Charts, graphs, cartoons. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

KLIATT

This book and the ones before it (Generations and 13th Gen) have received a great deal of publicity, as have their authors and the authors' ideas of seeing the history of America in a series of generations. Whether or not you accept this way of looking at history, if you are a teenager today or work with them, this study of the current generation—the oldest of whom turned 18 in the year 2000—has its fascinating moments. The authors make the point over and over, citing studies and polls, that the Millennials are a nurtured generation, slightly conservative, trustworthy, hardworking, cooperative, dependable. Crime is down; teenage pregnancy is lower; volunteerism is up, and so on. This is a generation akin to the one that faced the Depression and WW II with determination and courage. They are the children who have known about computers all their lives, who have grown up in good economic times, with parents who take parenting very seriously. So, now the book is in paperback; it is about as thorough a study of this group of young people that we are likely to get. KLIATT Codes: JSA—Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Random House/Vintage, 415p, illus, notes, 23cm, 00-034949, $14.00. Ages 13 to adult. Reviewer: Claire Rosser; January 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 1)

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