Review by Kirkus Book Review
A sharp retort to critics of millennials and the clichés of laziness and narcissism that cling to them. In her second book, journalist and lawyer Filipovic speaks directly to those who feel stung by the insult "OK, Boomer," delivered by millennials and GenY-ers weary of smug elders' lectures about gumption and hard work. Younger generations do work hard, she explains; indeed, they've been forced to be always-on and take on multiple gigs in a time when the inequality gap has only widened in the past 50 years. They earn less than boomers did at their age, carry much more student-loan debt, are more likely to delay marriage and children longer for economic reasons, have a harder time buying a home, and feel more socially isolated ("our health is trending in the wrong direction"). The author places much of the blame for this predicament at the feet of boomers, particularly the Reagan-era privatization schemes that economically hamstrung many younger people. In a section on the problem of mass incarceration, the author explores how people of color have been disproportionately affected by the situation. As Filipovic notes, even progressive boomers shouldn't crow too much: Much of the hard work of the civil rights movement, she notes, was done by people born before the boomers. Ultimately, the book is less of a pile-on than a data dump: If there's a statistic showing the disparities in wealth and achievement between boomers and millennials, she's found it. That sometimes gives the prose a dutiful, white-paper feel, a problem alleviated by interviews with people who express their anxieties about work, parenting, climate change, and other topics. By the end, readers will understand that Filipovic seeks to strike a conciliatory tone, asking that boomers avoid tarring younger generations and advocate for the return of the kind of work and family policies that benefitted them. A worthy defense of a maligned generation, both passionate and policy-wonkish. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
