Summary of The Fourth Turning by William Strauss & Neil Howe

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. Summary of The Fourth Turning by William Strauss & Neil Howe The Fourth Turning is a book by William Strauss and Neil Howe. It outlines the foundation for what is now known as Strauss-Howe generational theory. The main tenet of the book is that American and global history follows a generational cycle. The cycle is defined by four "Turnings,” each lasting about 20 years. Generational archetypes play a crucial role in historical events, and these archetypes recur. The cycle of the four "Turnings" is called a "saeculum” and is roughly the length of human life. The book offers a detailed description of the underlying philosophy. The key idea is seasonality. The authors offer their findings from nature and history to claim that the cyclical nature of time permeates all life, including American history. Furthermore, the authors analyze Anglo-American history to find patterns in a generational attitude. They then correlate these characteristics to the historical events of significance. The evidence that the authors present focuses on their interpretation of key historical figures, as well as societal attitudes. The cyclical generational attitudes are the prime factor in analyzing history and politics, according to Strauss and Howe. The authors claim that race, gender, economic class, religion, and political beliefs are all less influential in determining the course of history. This claim is controversial, and authors reflect on their stance against other prominent academics, offering some comparison with several secondary sources. Grab a copy of this book now!