The Fourth Turning: an American Prophecy

In the authors' theory, American and British (though mostly American) society goes moves along through a series of four seasons, creating a succession of four archetypal generation-types. Also, as history makes people, people make history, and the constellation of generations interprets the events in their world, reacting in the form of the four seasons. Tracing this march of generations across history, they admirably show the past is indeed prologue, and America is heading towards another seasonal change, as the nation moves once again into a Crisis mentality.

Now, the first complaint that is liable to be leveled against this book is that it posits an inescapably mechanistic view of history. However, the authors are careful to show that human nature can break their suggested cycle, and that it has happened in the past.

Overall, I found this to be a very convincing book, one that has revolutionized my entire view of American history! Yes, I am a convert to the Generations view of history, and cannot wait to see how things are likely to change in the near future. If you want a book that will revolutionize your whole way of looking at history, then I highly recommend that you get this book. It will challenge you and make sure that you never look at events the same.


Too Boring...   August 23, 1999
1 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book was sent to me by my mother. I have enjoyed books with similar conclusions, namely "Generation X" - Douglas Coupland, "Deflation" - by Gary Shilling, "The Great Reckoning" - Davidson & Rees-Mogg. Most of this book is a hand-wavy rehash of the last 200 years of American History. It cannot hold a candle (and it cannot hold my interest) compared to these other titles. There are no academic references for the historic interpretations that are drawn. Because there are least 300 value judgements made about historic periods of American History, I'd say that this book verges on being "Intellectual Trash."

For me, the book said that my life would kinda suck, but to take comfort because the next generation after me will have a life that _Really Sucks_. No surprise there. Tell me something that I don't already know !!!


This perspective is needed.   July 4, 1999
I have taken the book's perspective and 'plugged it in' in order to gain insight on people that I know and also history; and I must say that it works every time. I have learned a whole lot through adopting the author's particulat viewpoint on 'the way things are' so-to-speak. I think that this book (like everything else) cannot just be taken and accepted at face value, but I invite readers to test it for themselves.


Definitely Thought Provoking -- Psychohistory 101   May 30, 1999
Books such as the Fourth Turning are always thought provoking, but one MUST critically assess whether the thesis put forth is explanatory or predictive. (This is a MAJOR fault in many business books, especially those by Tom Peters).

A major stumbling block in there hypothesis is the fact that they cannot explain why their four generation saeculum skips a generation during the time of the civil war.

None the less their basic assertions about the cycles (perhaps spirals or helix is more apt)of generational attitudes and tendencies is insightful and interesting.

Without meaning to demean this effort (more than I have above) I found myself reminiscing about Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" twin trilogies (science fiction) in which he posited (in the 1950's yet!) that human history was predictable through a combination of statistics and psychology. Personally, I believe in this conceptually, but actual execution is a long way off. The Fourth Turning has tended to affirm that belief, but does not convince me that they can execute on predictions -- as other reviewers have said, their predicitions are incredibly vague.


A new way of looking at your place in society.   May 5, 1999
These writers have really taken there time to figure out a theory that could one day make them famous. There new look at life can make anyone stop and think about where they stand in there small asspect of the world. The charts and nicely layed out ideas make this difficult concept easier to understand. Even more than understanding who you are, you can understand where high powered people stand and their comparisons to you and your life. In reading this book it can become very exciting, and then to others it can seem totaly outlandish and not close to what real society is about at all. But again it is interesting to see what new types of ideas are coming out about the human life and the way we live it.