The Fourth Turning

Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER  Discover the game-changing theory of the cycles of history and what past generations can teach us about living through times of upheaval-with deep insights into the roles that Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials have to play.
 
First comes a High, a period of confident expansion. Next comes an Awakening, a time of spiritual exploration and rebellion. Then comes an Unraveling, in which individualism triumphs over crumbling institutions. Last comes a Crisis-the Fourth Turning-when society passes through a great and perilous gate in history.

William Strauss and Neil Howe will change the way you see the world-and your place in it. With blazing originality, The Fourth Turning illuminates the past, explains the present, and reimagines the future. Most remarkably, it offers an utterly persuasive prophecy about how America's past will predict what comes next.
 
Strauss and Howe base this vision on a provocative theory of American history. The authors look back five hundred years and uncover a distinct pattern: Modern history moves in cycles, each one lasting about the length of a long human life, each composed of four twenty-year eras-or "turnings"-that comprise history's seasonal rhythm of growth, maturation, entropy, and rebirth. Illustrating this cycle through a brilliant analysis of the post-World War II period, The Fourth Turning offers bold predictions about how all of us can prepare, individually and collectively, for this rendezvous with destiny.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Fourth Turning

* Presents the cyclical theory of history, known as the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory.
* Argues that history unfolds in predictable four-generation cycles, each lasting approximately 80-100 years.
* Examples: The American Revolution and the Civil War occurred during Fourth Turnings.

Chapter 2: The Prophet's Ascension

* Discusses the first generation of a Fourth Turning, known as the "Prophet" generation.
* These individuals are born during a time of crisis and are destined to lead their generation through profound change.
* Examples: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Chapter 3: The Unraveling

* Explores the second generation of a Fourth Turning, known as the "Nomad" generation.
* This generation questions the old order and seeks new spiritual and intellectual frontiers.
* Examples: The Beat Generation, the Baby Boomers during the 1960s.

Chapter 4: The Crisis

* Focuses on the third generation of a Fourth Turning, known as the "Hero" generation.
* These individuals are born into a time of chaos and are forced to defend their country or civilization.
* Examples: The Greatest Generation during World War II, the Generation Xers during the 1990s.

Chapter 5: The Turning

* Examines the fourth and final generation of a Fourth Turning, known as the "Artist" generation.
* This generation rebuilds society after the crisis and creates a new cultural and social order.
* Examples: The Jazz Age generation, the Millennials during the 2010s.

Chapter 6: The Civic Calendar

* Outlines the cyclical nature of American politics, with each Fourth Turning corresponding to a particular type of political order.
* Examples: The Constitutional Era (1789-1860), the Imperial Era (1860-1920), the Managerial Era (1920-1980), the Fourth Turning Era (1980-2020).

Chapter 7: Future Perfect

* Predicts that America is entering a Fourth Turning that will begin around 2005 and end around 2025.
* Argues that this turning will involve a profound crisis that will force a fundamental re-evaluation of American values and institutions.
* Examples: The 9/11 attacks, the Great Recession, the rise of nationalism and populism.

Chapter 8: The Aftermath

* Discusses the aftermath of a Fourth Turning, which can either lead to a new era of prosperity and stability or a decline into chaos and collapse.
* Argues that the outcome depends on the choices made by individuals and leaders during the crisis.
* Examples: The American Revolution led to a new republic, while the Civil War resulted in a bloody and divisive conflict.