I found this a very well researched book about generations from a sociological perspective. The books look at the idea that there is more that brings the generations together, than divides them. Considering the global perspective of ongoing trends across and within the generations. The book was written to enable commentary on the Global pandemic and how this affects the popular as a whole. Bobby Duffy also has a sense of humour that I can relate to and this was included within the book, as a fellow @middle child@ Generation Xer. His observational one liners gave me a laugh. Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the eARC of this book.

Fascinating the contrast between the generations. Housing, income, education and future expectations. An interesting read for anyone with an interest in economics, history or the future of the 20 plus year olds.

Thanks to Atlantic Books for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review. I always feel really intelligent when I’m reading a book like this, even though I don’t know what’s going on half the time. This book had the potential to be really technical and isolating for non-technical readers, but it wasn’t. It was clearly written and easy to digest. I find this generation split fascinating. I was born in 1993 so technically am in “Generation Y”, and yet we’ve always joked that I was born already middle aged as I prefer the company of older adults, prefer a cup of tea over a cocktail, and like being in bed with a good book by 9pm, so in this sense I identify with a different generation. It is quite a simplistic view to say one person acts or thinks the way they do due to the year they were born. It was fascinating to see how far back this generational divide goes - Duffy uses examples from Socrates, who was born around 470bc. I did like that Duffy didn’t take it at face value, he appreciated that factors like place of birth, economic background, social status, family etc. also have a major influence on who you are as a person, not just the era of your birth. The kindle copy I received had no graphics in it, so the table/graph statistics were a bit jumbled for me, but I got the eking they’d be really interesting to read in the finished book. You can tell Duffy is passionate about his interests as this was a thoroughly researched book, and you can feel the time and effort each chapter must have taken. Definitely food for though.

An interesting look at whether when we are born determines our attitudes. It includes a wide cross section and covers very topical areas such as climate change and Brexit. Enlightening.

‘Generations: Does When You’re Born Shape Who You Are?’ by Bobby Duffy challenges the stereotypes that treat each generation as an homogenous group. It is a thoroughly researched and referenced academic book, that is relevant and up to date covering the Covid pandemic and the culture wars. It also takes a wider view than just the US where generational theory originated and where much of the current writings seem located. Duffy recognises that media commentary and the industry that has arisen around generations has reduced the different generational groups to a few behaviours and viewpoints. It has become a shorthand with which to praise or condemn a large cohort of people for their approach to issues whether it be climate change, housing, wealth or health. And he points out history has been recording divisions between the young and old dating back to Socrates. Despite theses concerns, Duffy also recognises that generational theory has many benefits in that it helps understand demographic change and this is where the book is focused. Duffy concludes that he is hopeful that generational theory can move from the snowflake, astrological misinterpretations and be treated as a way of understanding and tackling the issues that confront us. This is a book that looks at the big issues such as climate change but also recognises that generational theory gives us insight into other things that are just as important in future planning such as mental health and car ownership. ‘Generations’ is written in an accessible style with insight and humour and well illustrated with charts. I would recommend it to anyone interested in future scenario planning or who is looking for a more nuanced understanding of generations and the real differences between older and younger people. I am very grateful to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.