Book Review — The Aftermath by Philip Bump
Philip Bump documents the meteoric rise of the Baby Boomer generation — along with the impact that Boomer-fueled trends may have on younger generations
The best remedy for ageism is intergenerational literacy. Being mindful of this purpose, I was more than eager to delve into a compendium characterizing one of the most well-known generations of these past two centuries: The Baby Boomers.
I think it’s fair to say that Boomers and Millennials are the two most highly-stigmatized (and unfairly so!) generations in the modern era. Two summers ago, I’d already written a review of Anne Helen Petersen’s 2020 book, Can’t Even, which makes a case for empathy toward her and my shared generation (Millennials). Therefore, I felt it was long-overdue for me to do the same on behalf of Boomers.
Released earlier this year, The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America centers the Baby Boomer generation when looking at how age-based battles may play out in the coming decades. Journalist and columnist Philip Bump — who has been a prominent writer for both The Washington Post and The Atlantic — shepherds us along an incredible time warp that illustrates how Boomer culture came into being.
