Once you orient yourself in history, you recognize yourself and those around you, and where you stand as we approach (or are already in) the Fourth Turning. It is interesting to note that the book was written in the mid-1990s, and its prognostications have been very accurate. (

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chilee | Mar 25, 2009 |

What the cycles of history tell us about America's next rendezvous with destiny.

BookSpotter | Dec 2, 2008 |

Pretty well summed up by another reviewer. In their book "Generations" Strauss and Howe explain their generational theory. In "The Fourth Turning" they apply the theory to the near future of the United States. Their theory may certainly be challenged but the order that their theory extracts from American history is hard to resist. (

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pamur | Nov 7, 2007 |

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). (

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JamesT | Jun 14, 2006 |

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Amazon.com (ISBN 0767900464, Paperback)

The Fourth Turning continues the project of mapping out the place of generations in history, a project begun in the authors' earlier books Generations and 13th Gen. If millennial fever takes hold, The Fourth Turning may be only the first of an impending wave of pseudo-scholarly tracts prognosticating future (but imminent!) doom as we collectively close the books on this millennium. Those expecting a serious or dry tome might be put off by the authors' taste for bulleted text and catchy phrasings, but can you blame these guys for wanting to make impending peril as exciting as possible? After all, they think we are headed toward "events on par with the Revolution, the Civil War, or World War II" in the next 20 years. Mixing solid understanding of present generational divisions, with some fairly broad generalizations, Strauss and Howe promise to move from history to prophecy. Fans of Future Shock, Megatrends, or Powershift will be familiar with the authors' style of writing and not at all put off by the book's reach or style. Their take on history provides an intriguing (if not always reliable) lens through which to view the past, present, and maybe even the future.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)

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