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199 reviews for:
A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America
Bruce Cannon Gibney
3.36 AVERAGE
199 reviews for:
A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America
Bruce Cannon Gibney
3.36 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
slow-paced
This book had quite a bit more to it than I first thought. I found a number of intriguing quotes from this book when reading BS Jobs.
Overall, I think the book is well-researched, singular in its point, and clear with its message. It covers almost every sphere of life ranging from politics, religion, parenting, marriage, sex, economics, and vocation. The largest thrust is political by far.
The downside of this book is that the caustic language from the title is consistent throughout. His tone is so aggressive and even occasionally whiny that rather that supplement his message it undermines it. I know a handful of people who would enjoy the research and ideas of this book that would not be able to handle the cheeky cynicism that couches it. I also think that generational studies can be overdone and this is definitely a case of that.
Overall, glad I read it and will probably refer to it again, but will never read it again.
Pro-tip: Avoid a drinking game with the word "sociopath" (and all cognates) as it would surely result in death.
Overall, I think the book is well-researched, singular in its point, and clear with its message. It covers almost every sphere of life ranging from politics, religion, parenting, marriage, sex, economics, and vocation. The largest thrust is political by far.
The downside of this book is that the caustic language from the title is consistent throughout. His tone is so aggressive and even occasionally whiny that rather that supplement his message it undermines it. I know a handful of people who would enjoy the research and ideas of this book that would not be able to handle the cheeky cynicism that couches it. I also think that generational studies can be overdone and this is definitely a case of that.
Overall, glad I read it and will probably refer to it again, but will never read it again.
Pro-tip: Avoid a drinking game with the word "sociopath" (and all cognates) as it would surely result in death.
This booked lacked nuance and did not include the worship of capitalism as the motivation for the boomer behavior listed in the book. Additionally, it fails to note the examples specifically pertain to wealthy, white boomers. He glosses over poor and people of color so by mentioning them, he knows they are excluded but doesn’t explicitly call out that the boomers in power, enacting the harmful policies are a specific boomer demographic.
informative
slow-paced
A solid historical record and it is fun to track generational arcs, but the author lacks a class and anti-imperialist analysis which would make his arguments stronger or more accurately render it null and void. Still some good detail about policy and electorate trends over the last 50 years.
informative
tense
medium-paced
Interesting, more or less even-handed, and well-sources. I think Gibney doesn't go far enough to justify the problems he outlines as a symptom of specifically the Boomer generation, rather than, say, a problem with a certain school of economics, a new social movement, etc.
In some ways, this was a very discouraging book to read. It helps that I'm Canadian, but we tend to follow in what happens in the US. Things are better here, but not great.
There is a lot of detail and specific examples.
There is a lot of detail and specific examples.
informative
reflective