Historian, economist, and speaker, Neil Howe discussed his work on generations and how they shape history, as well as the twenty year cycle of crisis facing the U.S. First hour guest, science writer Charles Seife talked about different possible solutions to the BP oil spill. ... More »

In the first hour, Ian Punnett welcomed Paul Sperry, co-author of Muslim Mafia. Then, Ian was joined by historian Neil Howe for a discussion on his research into the defining generations of our time, and why those born after 1981 have vastly different relationships with their families and the workplace than those born earlier. ... More »

Historian and speaker Neil Howe discussed his work on generations and how they shape history, as well as the twenty year cycle of crisis facing the U.S. He cited different archetypal generations that tend to repeat in the same order, shaping American history since the 17th century. Currently we have:'G.I.s' (born from 1901 to 1924),'Silent' (born from 1925 to 1942),'Boomers' (1943 to 1960),'Gen X-ers' (1961 to 1981), andMillennials (1982 and beyond).Each of these generations embodies different characteristics that are a product of their time, and what preceded them, he explained. Each group turns a corner on the generation before them, and Howe has categorized four repeated cycles or "turnings," that each last for around twenty years. We are in the midst of the 4th Turning, a time of enormous public risk and upheaval, said Howe. Among the predictions he and co-author, the late William Strauss made back in 1997 about the 4th Turning: fiscal crisis tax rebellion global ... More »

Historian and economist Neil Howe discussed his work on generations and how they shape history as well as cycles of crisis. According to Howe, there are four different types of generations -- Boomers, Generation X, Millennial and Lost -- that have tended to recur in the same order in America from the 17th century onward.Boomers belong to the Prophet archetype, he explained, and typically come along after a reshuffling of the institutional order. They are culture warriors with a focus on reshaping the inner world. Howe said Generation X is made up of individualists who define resiliency, while the Millennial generation is comprised of community builders who seek to develop a sense of belonging.Howe talked about the next phase of history, what he calls the Fourth Turning -- a period of historical acceleration, crisis and upheaval. Ian suggested this period may have been triggered by 9/11. Howe identified certain themes to look for during a fourth turning period, including ... More »

Guest host John B. Wells welcomed historian and speaker Neil Howe, who discussed his work on generations, as well as the twenty year cycle of crisis now facing the U.S. He identified different types of generations that tend to repeat in the same order, shaping American history. ... More »