Generation of Vipers

by Philip Wylie

Perhaps the most vitriolic attack ever launched on the American way of living—from politicians to professors to businessmen to Mom to sexual mores to religion—Generation of Vipers ranks with the works of De Tocqueville and Emerson in defining the American character and malaise.

Genres: Nonfiction, Classics, Essays, History, Social, Audiobook, Politics

331 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1942

About the author

Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, Philip Gordon Wylie was the son of Presbyterian minister Edmund Melville Wylie and the former Edna Edwards, a novelist, who died when Philip was five years old. His family moved to Montclair, New Jersey and he later attended Princeton University from 1920–1923. He married Sally Ondek, and had one child, Karen, an author who became the inventor of animal "clicker" training. After a divorcing his first wife, Philip Wylie married Frederica Ballard who was born and raised in Rushford, New York; they are both buried in Rushford.

A writer of fiction and nonfiction, his output included hundreds of short stories, articles, serials, syndicated newspaper columns, novels, and works of social criticism. He also wrote screenplays while in Hollywood, was an editor for Farrar & Rinehart, served on the Dade County, Florida Defense Council, was a director of the Lerner Marine Laboratory, and at one time was an adviser to the chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee for Atomic Energy which led to the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission. Most of his major writings contain critical, though often philosophical, views on man and society as a result of his studies and interest in psychology, biology, ethnology, and physics. Over nine movies were made from novels or stories by Wylie. He sold the rights for two others that were never produced.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at a bus stop when I was a teenager. It's mind-opening effect was profound and indelible. It seemed that the book had been left there for me to find. Ever since, I have not been able to convince myself that the universe is totally indifferent.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an earlier edition in the 1950s.

One of the really good books

[Ed Erwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A long rant about things this guy doesn't like. I agree sometimes, not others. But either way, it gets tiresome. These days you can find such rants regularly on various media.

[Travis Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like most, the initial sense of amazement at Wylie's depth of insight as a social critic left me with a lingering question about each 'new' issue that pops up... "Now what was it Wylie said about that?" If it doesn't spring straight to mind I go back to that well-worn first edition.

[Peter Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it could be construed as an exercise in paranoia this book is a fun read. Everyone, bankers, doctors, professors, gets a piece from Mr. Wiley so don't fret. Read it, be offended, and deal.

[Michelle]

Wow. This is a book to keep.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to bed with this AK-47 each night for a little over a year and it rendered me into a curmudgeon on par with the misanthropic genius who counts cans at Espie's Redemption Center.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting bits of thought, and a lovely narrator voice. on the same time incredibly dated and very ptetentiously opinionated in modt subjects.

[Zack Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lives up to the hype! Its very dense in a good way, think like a chocolate fondue made from fresh Amazonian cacao. His slapping of the "American way" from the 1940's is still relevant today because we're still the same America!

[Charlie Cray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great, long-forgotten scathing examination of American morality and society. A bit too misogynistic for my taste, however.

[Lancelot Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 1954 when I was 13. I thought it was great then. I am not sure I would have the same opinion if I were to reread it now.

[ROBERT H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phillip Wylie Wrote this book in 1943. Working with the US Government during WWII, He was disgusted with the people that were part of the problem, not the solution. I read this in 1957 at the age of 20. I was working at Convair at the Experimental Jet Engine Test Stand on the First J-79 and on the Flight Line for the B-58 Flight Test Program. Working directly with the engineers, I was learning something new every day. Disgusted with the sleep I was losing trying to go to TCU & Arlington State College, during a 40 to 48 hour work week. All of the roll calling, time wasted and people asking questions so they could answer them ... I was fed up with our educational System. An avid reader since the 2nd grade, for years I'd read at least 3 books a week. To heck with the degree, I'd just read about what I wanted to know. Wylie's rants hit the button with my rebellious attitude.
He criticizes the Common Man, uncommon man, medical man, lawyers, Military Man, educators and Momism, etc., etc. I've reread it three other times over the years and he's still on the mark with the modern world. I love a book like this that makes you stop and think about the subject.

[Richard Lennox · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a radicalized college student in the late 60's, a creative writing instructor pointed this book out to me. It had the intended effect 0n me: there is nothing new to rebel against... It was still the same culture then, (as it still is now in 2012) We are still a loose knit society, saying one thing... Doing another... A blistering inditement of our beliefs and our actions from an extremely perceptive eye. It will shatter some taken-for-granted personal beliefs, that deserve to be shattered... So that a more 'honest' set may replace them, or it will incense you because some deeply held beliefs are attacked and challenged. Needs to be re-read every decade or so, just to knock some sense back in to our auto-pilot lives. Too bad it will never be widely read... Too dangerous.

[Jeff Russo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but somewhat uneven. The bitter and erudite Mr Wylie was a couple decades ahead of his time on sexual mores, and does a good job on ripping the state of education, politicians, and statesman. He's a bit soggier when trying to postulate on his solutions for what he seems to think is wrong - name-dropping some of the biggies in psychiatry, rambling about "instinctiveness"... not so hot on that front.

His thoughts on women obviously reek of being a bit dated but probably have more kernels of truth in them than is fashionable to admit nowadays.

[Marshall A Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip Wylie is a Brilliant cynic. Where Abraham Lincoln said G-d must have loved the common man because he made so many, Wylie says G-d must have hated the common man because he made him so common. He has his own cynical opinion on almost everything.

[joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read quite a bit of Wylie when I was an undergraduate. I found him very thought provoking.

[Janice Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This guy must be dead by now.

[Steven Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot of wisdom in this book. Most readers today dismiss the wisdom of anyone born five minutes before they were; but a critique of American society written by a prominent SF author and social critic at the height of World War II, and updated by him at the beginning of the Cold War, is relevant. We haven’t changed as much as we arrogantly declare we have. History keeps repeated itself, and we keep resembling our ancestors in our attitudes, foibles and virtues. (And yes, our ancestors signaled their virtues too, and the signaled ones were just as phony then as they are today!)

Wylie’s analysis of the workings of Congress could as easily be talking about AOC, Elizabeth Warren and Lauren Boebert as any of the politicos of his day, when there were no women in Congress. His observations on war, and how humanity allows peacetime to be nothing more than preparation for the next war, are still spot-on. His observation the United States is strong enough and flexible enough to become a military dictatorship, (as he insists it did during World War II, among others) and then stop being one again is encouraging, if his corresponding belief that would could entertain socialism “just long enough” to recover from economic crises was both excessively optimistic and ultimately mistaken. Once the New Deal let it in the door, America has not been able to convince that particular guest that it has overstayed its welcome.

Likewise, although he quite correctly counsels that American Democracy must follow the middle path in order to remain strong, that it must avoid “isms” which offer quick and unrealistic solutions, Wylie ends his book trying to peddle an “ism.” In this case, his final pages sing the praises of one-worldism. Many SF authors of the 30s and 40s, Robert A. Heinlein included, would have happily sung backup on this. But his prediction that the U.S. would essentially take over the world with benevolent democracy, and that the resulting staggering debt would quickly be paid off by a free, hard-working populace, was just as staggeringly wrong. Still, this is a fascinating perspective on the America of 80 years ago. Well worth your time.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moments of brilliance but more moments that are purely ridiculous -- not necessarily because of the subject matter but because of Wylie's over-the-top, provocative style. A perfect example of what kids these days would call an "edgelord." I read at least 75% but finally moved on to something more substantial.

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't finished this book, but did read 50%. By then, it became drivel. Interesting, tho, for its immediate (during WWII) perspective on society. Author has some noteworthy, and often absurd, ideas on society.
Found it on the streets of Astoria, Queens, summer 2017

[Charlie Cray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great, long-forgotten scathing examination of American morality and society. A bit too misogynistic, however. I would recommend reading "Sin and Society" by Edward Alsworth Ross first.

[Dona Scott]

DNF

[William Scarborough · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just masturbatory ranting from a self-aggrandizing windbag who thought himself a prophet.

[Kate Donnelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book club choice. I had a deuce of a time getting into it. I did finish it. None of the characters struck an interest. The translation and ignorance of some of the topics was part of my disinterest.