(Book Review) The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in American Power, 1st Edition

Overview

Review Published: September, 2024.

From author, columnist, and political analyst Philip Bump comes an in-depth examination of the Baby Boom generation and the effects they’ve had on American society.

From their appearance on the American stage, to their lasting effects on various aspects of American life, this book serves as a primer for understanding the social, political, and economic implications of the massive generational shift that is currently underway.

Rating:

4 / 5

(Promising Content, Presentation is Engaging)

What does this score mean?

Difficulty:

Intermediate (Content is presented in an approachable way, but some familiarity is helpful).

Length:

401 pages.

Where to Buy It:

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What's Good

Extensive tie-ins of the social, political, and economic; while the current social environment can look like an unsolvable mess, the author carefully ties specific information into the overall context, and does an admirable job of showing where the social, political, and economic spheres overlap and interact.
Well-researched & balanced; the author has exhaustively researched this subject, and walks a fine line of balancing the quantitative (i.e. charts, graphs, statistical analysis) with the qualitative (i.e. interviews, media reports, personal insights) to present as comprehensive a picture as possible.
Approachable tone; everything is presented in a conversational tone, and this helps immensely when more complex concepts and content are presented.

What Can Be Improved

Limited examination of solutions; while a few individuals and organizations are part of this examination, the book stops short of any in-depth discussion of potential ways of dealing with the social, economic, and political rifts we’re currently experiencing (which would be a great counter-balance to some of the less cheery conclusions being drawn).

The Bottom Line

Highlights the value of inquiry (applicability/importance to UX); with this subject being both intensely complex and generally subject to over-simplification (i.e. the “okay, Boomer” sentiment we’ve all heard), this book serves as an excellent example of the value of deliberate inquiry when it comes to dispelling these notions so we can get to meaningful solutions.
For any skill level interested in this particular field of inquiry; while a little bit of stretching will be needed by people unfamiliar with these issues, the author does a great job of making that challenge as manageable as possible.
Generally, a good value; obviously, this book will be more valuable to those directly interested in this stuff, but also serves as a great initial read for the generally curious.