Beyond Age Rage: How the Boomers and Seniors Are Solving the War of the Generations

by David Cravit

The headlines are getting more frequent- the language, more inflammatory. A war between the generations. The greedy boomers refusing to get out of the way. The hapless millennials struggling to find a footing. A crisis in pensions. A crisis in jobs. A crisis in health care... But is that the true story? In this provocative new book, David Cravit, author of The New Old, dissects the apparent war- and comes to some surprising conclusions. Yes, there are intergenerational conflicts (and some of them look serious) ... but the "war" is a matter of emotion more than reality Yes, the boomers and seniors are changing all the rules of the "expected" way to age ... but the results are anything but dire, as so many pundits would have us believe Yes, the millennials are outnumbered and ill-equipped ... but they're being saved, anyway As David Cravit shows, even as the apparent intergenerational war unfolds, the winning "army" is already creating the peace... and the foundations for a much more creative, cooperative, and successful society of the future. "Some would have it that we're on the brink of a 'War of the Generations.' They read about soaring health-care costs and prepare to enlist. Well, I wish everyone would just calm down! Before we're dragged into some unnecessary nastiness, I advise us all to read David's book to get a better sense of how we're all in this together." -MOSES ZNAIMER, Founder and CEO, ZoomerMedia Limited, Toronto, Ontario "A must read for academics, business executives, political pundits, policy wonks- for anyone concerned about the future social health and economic viability of Western nations." -BRENT GREEN, author of Marketing to Leading-edge Baby Boomers and Generation Reinvention, Denver, Colorado

227 pages, ebook

First published April 16, 2012

Reviews

[Brent Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Cravit's "Beyond Age Rage" is a clear and commanding clarion call, a must-read for academicians, business executives, political pundits, policy wonks and those concerned about the future social health and economic viability of western nations.

Cravit details three undeniable forces: first, employment opportunities will remain scarce relative to workforce needs for the foreseeable future; second, monies needed to pay for entitlement programs, infrastructure improvements and public education will continue to erode due to extreme population aging; and, three, older generations have the motivation, moxie and momentum to make sure those limited resources become allocated to their post-career needs, potentially disenfranchising young adults.

These forces and ensuing contests for resource allocation may pit the youngest generations against the oldest in a social and political contest that could aptly be thought of as ... rage. The author reveals substantive documentation to support his central thesis about ensuing intergenerational conflict, unpacking enough facts and insights to cause even the most optimistic futurist to shudder. Then he informs readers how to get "Beyond Age Rage," to an era of unprecedented intergenerational harmony and cooperation.

I recommend that all critical thinkers read David Cravit's newest revelations about the future. Worst-case scenarios are conceivable, and the seeds of future discord have begun to germinate. And then I recommend that readers become committed to Cravit's proposals, thereby mitigating discord between generations -- getting beyond pettiness and genero-centricity.

If Alan Kay's aphorism is indeed true - "The best way to predict the future is to invent it" - then it is in our collective capacities to recognize this gathering perfect storm of economic, social and political unrest, and then take measures necessary to maintain harmony and cooperation between generations, to once again reinvent the fundamental covenants of our social contract. "Beyond Age Rage" provides insights and incentives to begin this journey toward societal reinvention ... immediately.