A Generation of Sociopaths
How the Baby Boomers Betrayed America
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A Generation of Sociopaths
Narrated by:
Wayne Pyle
Buy Now for £16.36
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Narrated by:
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Wayne Pyle
About this listen
In A Generation of Sociopaths, Gibney examines the disastrous policies of the most powerful generation in modern history, showing how the Boomers ruthlessly enriched themselves at the expense of future generations.
Acting without empathy, prudence, or respect for facts--acting, in other words, as sociopaths--the Boomers turned American dynamism into stagnation, inequality, and bipartisan fiasco. The Boomers have set a time bomb for the 2030s, when damage to Social Security, public finances, and the environment will become catastrophic and possibly irreversible--and when, not coincidentally, Boomers will be dying off.
Gibney argues that younger generations have a fleeting window to hold the Boomers accountable and begin restoring America.
Critic reviews
"Sure to be controversial."—Fortune
"Informative, provocative, and entertaining reading for those interested in political economy and U.S. social and economic history."—Booklist
"Gibney lays into the 'Me' generation for cashing out their children's future and leaving the planet looking like a rock star's hotel room.... Timely."—Esquire
"A Generation of Sociopaths is a polemic, but what a polemic: filled with data, rich in anecdote, deadly serious yet wickedly funny."—Alexandra Wolfe, author of Valley of the Gods
"The core of Gibney's argument, that the boomers are guilty of 'generational plunder,' is spot-on. He accuses them of 'the mass, democratically-sanctioned transfer of wealth away from the young and toward the Boomers,' and he's right."—Dana Milbank, Washington Post
"Remarkable .... Impressively weighted with hard numbers and specifics, the volume serves as both an indictment of and rebuttal to a Woodstock Generation that has gleefully celebrated themselves for decades while gradually running the country into the ground ... Gibney paints a persuasive and frequently hilarious portrait of the Me Generation."—Men's Journal
"Like Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Bruce Cannon Gibney's A Generation of Sociopaths proceeds from a deceptively simple premise: that the gains made by the American middle class in the period after the world wars of the previous century were a fluke.... A damning, searingly relevant indictment."—The Globe and Mail
"[Gibney] has a wry, amusing style and plenty of well parsed statistics to back him up ... Read A Generation of Sociopaths and hope for the best. Gibney is more optimistic than those who predict an imminent third world war, than the scientists who warn of sudden climate shifts and the end of antibiotics, and even - in one sense - than the evangelicals who believe in the Rapture. He also has a better sense of humor."—Jane Smiley, The Guardian
"[Gibney] maintains that the Boomer Generation, privilege incarnate, exhibit all the traits associated with that clinical pathology: 'deceit, selfishness, imprudence, remorselessness, hostility, the works.' He argues the case well."—Toronto Star
"Uproariously funny but rigorously argued and researched.... Intellectually invaluable..... Re-fram[es] the dysfunction in our politics as less a consequence of partisan factionalism and more as a grand agreement between privileged Boomers across the political divide to enrich their present rather than vouchsafing the future."—Lawyers, Guns, and Money
I strongly believe that the reason why "spin" and other forms of discrediting facts to justify behaviour is become easier due to the noble and professional attitude of researchers to state only what the empirical data shows.
Research in social and economic sciences is more bias and there tends to be disagreements between authors on the way data is been interpreted.
It is really refreshing to see how the author's blunt opinions do not seem to descend into statements of fact that cannot be challenged.
In my opinion the Author has been as thorough as possible to support his views with empirical data and it seems to be challenging society/readers to get involved in fixing the issue.
What I find refreshing is, the bluntness with an open and positive attitude to engage in dialogue and promote debate, to elevate the discourse of how to fix the problems of the future and to give a good example of how "experts" and thorough research should be embraced in politics.
I am not from the USA and not a boomer but I can see in my own life experience how "boomer" behaviour is percolated society and it has been passed on to some extend to younger generations.
On a personal note, I have been thinking for the last few years how the western world has lost its "MOJO" and how the "values" that everybody talks about are no longer practiced. This book is helped me pin point what "boomer" behaviours or entitlements I have inherited and will modify to ensure I take responsibility in ensuring I don't pass on to the future generations unnecessary burden.
I think as Bruce eloquently puts it, society is worth the effort and rather blame or punish "boomers" I will use this book as a learnt experience to live within my means and preach by example to pass on this important message.
We have all benefited from the scientific, medical and technological advances the world has produced up to the end of the 20th century. This advances have been made mostly by governmental, altruistic and personal investment with the goal of discovery and understanding the world we live in.
If current "values" of profit at all cost, greed and reduction of taxes and state were prevalent in the early 20th century they world we live in would be very different indeed.
An outstanding example of excellent research & use of empirical data to support an opinionated view of 20th social change in USA
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Informative, validating, interesting and matter-of-fact, straight to the point.
Recommended for everyone, especially if you’re wondering ”how has it come to this?”. Well worth a listen! In fact I wish everyone had read this book already.
Important for people to read/listen
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