Are millennials entitled and lazy? Are baby boomers the most sexually liberal generation? Was generation X the last group to show loyalty to political parties?
In this original and deeply researched book, polling expert and professor of public policy Bobby Duffy explores how when we're born determines our attitudes to money, sex, religion, politics and much else. Informed by exclusive studies from IPSOS, as well as his own research, Duffy reveals that many of our preconceptions are just that: tired stereotypes.
Revealing and informative, Generations provides a new framework for understanding the most divisive issues raging today: from gun control to climate change and Brexit to the surveillance state. Including data from over 40 countries and interviews across generational divides, this big thinking book will transform how you view the world.
'Essential for anyone who truly wants to understand our world.'
- Julia Gillard
'Engaging and vital. Anyone trying to understand social change has to distinguish the effects of generations, periods and ages.'
- Steven Pinker
About the Author
Bobby Duffy is Director of The Policy Institute at King's College London. Formerly Global Director of Ipsos Social Research Institute, he has also been seconded to the British Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and to the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at the London School of Economics. He is the author of The Perils of Perception: Why We're Wrong About Nearly Everything.
Industry Reviews
'Startling, witty and erudite. This is a must-read, complete analysis of our times... Read this to explode the myth of manufactured generational wars.' - Polly Toynbee
'Indispensable... Bobby Duffy is among the most creative and prolific generational analysts anywhere in the world.' - Robert Putnam
'Eye-catching and compelling. To get a reliable glimpse of the future it is essential to have clear picture of the present. Generations does it better than anything I've seen in recent years.' - Trevor Phillips
'Excellent. Duffy convincingly and comprehensively punctures the myths around generations that have pigeon-holed people for decades.' - Dame Margaret Hodge
'Brilliant. Duffy has built a powerful toolkit for understanding the forces and relationships that shape the world we live in - and the one our children will inherit.' - Rafael Behr
'The most comprehensive, compelling and careful account for how and why the generations diverge, come together and can better connect.' - Danny Dorling, Professor of Geography, Oxford University
'A truly brilliant and engaging explanation of a new way to think about how and why we're changing. Duffy picks clever and often amusing examples to illustrate his analysis, while he also recognises the important concerns we all have about the future and our place in it.' - Dame Louise Casey, former Director General of the Department for Communities and Local Government
'This important book deserves our attention. Duffy casts new light on the endlessly fascinating issue of what links the generations and how they differ.' - Lord David Willetts, author of The Pinch
