Book Reviews

Seasons and Cycles

Two books are essential reading for those who wish to understand the theory of historical seasons and generational cycles. This theory is explained in the books The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy (Broadway Books) and Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 (William Morrow and Co.), both by William Strauss and Neil Howe.

The Short Cycle

Strauss and Howe’s writings concern short cycles in history. A short cycle or "saeculum" is a season of life that lasts 80 to 100 years. Within each cycle are four identifiable seasons dominated by one of four generational types: Civic, adaptive, idealist and reactive generations. In the 20th Century, these are known familiarly as the GI Generation (born between 1901 and 1924), the Silent Generation (1925-1942), Baby Boomers (1943-1960), Generation X (1961-1981) and the Millennials (the new civics, born after 1981. Also known as Generation Y).

In addition to these two foundational books, other important books are linked to this history and give validity to the theory. The following address specific generations of the 20th Century.

• The Greatest Generation, by Tom Brokaw (Random House). About the GI Generation.
• 13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail? By Neil Howe, et.al. (Vintage Books). Concerns Generation X.
• Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. By Neil Howe and William Strauss (Vintage Books).
• Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation. By Don Tapscott (McGraw-Hill). Both are about Millennials.

American history can be filtered through this new paradigm. Three great books that attempt this from a Christian point of view are:

• Light and the Glory
• From Sea to Shining Sea
• Sounding Forth the Trumpet

All books were written by Peter Marshall and David Manuel (Fleming H. Revell).

While not addressed in the same terms, the seasons and generational cycles can be spotted in the following three books:

• Spirited Americans: A Commentary on America's Optimists - From the Puritans to the Cyber-Century by A.E. Jeffcoat (Winslow House).
• Scandalmonger by William Safire (Simon and Schuster).
• Vindicating the Founders. By Thomas G. West (Rowman and Littlefield).

Also worth noting...

• My Generation: Fifty Years of Sex, Drugs, Rock, Revolution, Greed, Valor, Faith, and Silicon Chips. By Michael Gross (Cliff Street Books).
• Boomers, Xers, and Other Strangers: Understanding the Generational Differences That Divide Us. By Kathy and Rick Hicks (Focus on the Family).