The Mindset Lists of American History: From Typewriters to Text Messages, What Ten Generations of Americans Think Is Normal

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The Mindset Lists of American History: From Typewriters to Text Messages, What Ten Generations of Americans Think Is Normal

3.34 of 5 stars 3.34 · rating details · 73 ratings · 25 reviews

Snapshots of the U.S.'s last nine generations—from the creators of the Mindset List media sensationJust as high school graduates in 1957 couldn't imagine life without zippers, those of 2009 can't imagine having to enter phone booths and deposit coins in order to call someone from the street corner.Every August, the Mindset List highlights the cultural touchstones that have...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Wiley (first published May 23rd 2011)

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Mar 25, 2013 Steve rated it 2 of 5 stars

My wife picked up the Mindset lists for me as a Christmas (2012) present. She sorta hit the nail on the head on this one. It’s definitely up my alley marrying pop-culture, politics and history. This is an interesting idea. I wouldn’t say the execution is as successful as the idea however. Essentially, the Mindset lists are about 50 items that are normal to a generation, as represented by a high school class. What that class experienced growing up and how those forces acted upon their actions and...more My wife picked up the Mindset lists for me as a Christmas (2012) present. She sorta hit the nail on the head on this one. It’s definitely up my alley marrying pop-culture, politics and history. This is an interesting idea. I wouldn’t say the execution is as successful as the idea however. Essentially, the Mindset lists are about 50 items that are normal to a generation, as represented by a high school class. What that class experienced growing up and how those forces acted upon their actions and behaviors. Think “I love the 80’s” without the comedians. The book, looked at one graduating high school class every 13 years, starting backwards from 2009. So 1996 was included, which just so happens to be my graduating class. Within that structure, it looks at things that are the norm or new and how their processing differs from the earlier generations. For instance, for classes in the 1930’s (I’m guessing here, I don’t remember what year) – zippers were commonplace. Its hard for them to imagine life without them or even care to for that matter since they are the norm. However, for earlier generations pre-zippers they are new, fantastic or possibly troublesome as a sign of the laziness of the youth depending on who you talk to.

In that context, the list of 50 items was interesting to see how “normal” changed from 1905 to 1918 to 1931 to 1944 to 1957 to 1970 to 1983 to 1996 to 2009 and even speculation to the class of 2026 (my kid’s generation-apparently they will never handle cash or use keys). After listing the items, there was a 10-15 page description of the items in a narrative form.

Nuts and bolts – the book is interesting for the content and value of the changing viewpoints. But it’s not as valuable as a book. I found it boring. The lists were interesting. I probably didn’t need the narrative to go with it. Or maybe I needed a narrative that differentiated a little bit more. I found the 10-15 pages was highly repetitive and with the exception of a few items, there was nothing new to be learned that I couldn’t gather from the lists. What I mean is, as a novice student of history, there were only about 4 or 5 items from each list that I didn’t understand/remember. The narrative was semi-helpful in expounding on those, but in most cases I still found myself on Google trying to understand what was meant. In the end, this wasn’t a straight read. I’d read one section, then go on and read something else. I don’t think I could read this straight through. And if you don’t like history, I’m not sure I’d find it remotely entertaining. It’s just not written well enough to be engaging. Here’s the more perplexing part for me. Of all the sections, the one I struggled with the most was 1996. This is my graduating class, my experiences. Yet, I couldn’t relate to about half of the detail. Some of the writing made me think of the aughts (which didn’t make sense since it’s supposed to be my childhood) but would then come back to comment how that thought process related to the 80’s. I’m fully aware that I was not conscience of the world until about 1987 or so, hence anything occurring prior to then would only have some peripheral meaning. However, considering the history of the earlier classes that made sense to me, I shouldn’t have been confused by my own era. It made me question what an earlier class would think based on reading their section.

In the end, I believe there are several issues here. One…the items are geared in an 18 year framework and while the societal influences of the time certain frame life (the depression vs. the suburban movement), kids are still kids. Would my life have differed if I was born in ’27 instead of ’77?? – certainly. And in some cases this is pertinent. However, the supposed political ineptness of Jimmy Carter had virtually no influence on me or my thinking. Neither did anything outside of the sphere of mom and dad for much of that first decade (until 1987 when I claimed Ollie North stole my missing recorder and gave it to the contras). In that context, it feels cheapened. If it doesn’t work for me, it won’t work for others. There should be some groundwork of the socio-economic conditions, but the other items I think need to be taken in account for the self-awareness of the class members for a true Anthropologic ideal. You are simply addressing items that have no context for those born in that era. For the class of the '96, focusing the Clinton years, Bush Sr. and the tail end of Reagan. This context was more on 1980-1984. Secondly, there is a too big a gap. For my father, born in 1946 and the class of ’64, to relate to 1957 or 1970 is difficult. I would argue, this would be better done, taken in 5-6 year steps instead of the 13 years provided and focus on the events of ages 12-18, instead of birth to 18. The previous generation would assist in providing the earlier groundwork necessary for that level of context. Lastly, and likely most importantly, the book reads a little like an astrological report. The statements can be associated with anyone, but also no one at the same time. They are, necessarily, general and while certain things will certainly apply, it does not create a great cross section. What’s normal for me growing up in suburban north Jersey will vary greatly from someone growing up in Detroit. You simply can’t conquer this regionally, but it cheapens the data when the context is made to fit into a box or the narrative loses its value by using terms like “could have.”

Overall, the book was semi-entertaining and interesting. But I think I would have been more apt to pick it up in a book store, peruse the lists (not the narratives) and put the book back on the shelves. The amusement would be there, without the time commitment. On that note, I’m not sure I’d recommend other than having on hand as a cocktail party conversation piece….

Source, as mentioned above, was a gift from the wife for Christmas 2012. I’m not sure where she got it…
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Aug 09, 2011 Douglas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: art, gender-issues, green, cultural-racial-issues, science

I love NPR for book recommendations. So many great books this summer! So this title caught my attention because it was written from the College of Beloit which I went to July of 2010 for a summer retreat on leadership sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association-which my church St. John's UU in Clifton is part of.

Anyway, it is basically a every 13 year listing of each generations milestones, iconic interests and general Americana. It starts with the generation before the turn of the cent...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Dachokie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1970s-nostalgia

A Book That Gives Some Perspective to the Term "Generation Gap" ...

Generations seem to look at one another through a "grass is always greener" lens, where the current always thinks their parent's and children's' generations has it better of for one reason or another (think of the "I had to walk ten miles in snow to get to school every day" stories). I always thought life was simple for my parents in that I assumed they grew up in a time where people could always get by on less and didn't have as...more A Book That Gives Some Perspective to the Term "Generation Gap" ...

Generations seem to look at one another through a "grass is always greener" lens, where the current always thinks their parent's and children's' generations has it better of for one reason or another (think of the "I had to walk ten miles in snow to get to school every day" stories). I always thought life was simple for my parents in that I assumed they grew up in a time where people could always get by on less and didn't have as much "stuff" to worry about. Same with my young children ... they have it made because everything in their lives is geared toward instant gratification (where I actually had to GET UP to change the TV channel when I was a kid). With THE MINDSET LISTS O AMERICAN HISTORY, authors Tom McBride and Ron Nief offer some insight on what life was like growing up in America over the past century and clearly illustrates that no generation was void of hardship or perks.

The authors give the reader perspective of what life was for successive generations of Americans every thirteen years. Each chapter represents the year that its "class" members would have graduated from high school (from the "class of 1898" to the "class of 2026"). With this format, virtually every reader has some idea of what their parents and grandparents endured during their childhoods. By introducing a list of 50 "mindsets" at the beginning of each chapter, the reader gets a quick glimpse of what was considered "normal" for a particular generation. These 50 mindsets are then thoroughly broken down and explained in a manner that allows the reader to understand how previous generations came of age throughout the past century, as well as projecting what's in store for the latest crop of newborns (Class of 2026). THE MINDSET LIST puts the various generations in perspective and illustrates how relative they are to one another. Each and every generation has dealt with ups and downs (economic growth/turmoil and war/relative peace), as well as being the beneficiary of technological and sociological advancement. It is amazing to realize that certain aspects of everyday life we take for granted now were once considered life-altering not too long ago (like zippers or ready-made, store bought clothing). If anything, the book allows readers to detach themselves from the present and see life through the eyes of those belonging to older and younger generations (how many of those in the class of 1918 lived through the first airplane flight as well as man landing on the moon). Seeing the progression of these generational mindsets illustrate how each generation's great achievements become the ordinary fabric and/or foundations of future generations (to the class of 1918, a typewriter was no less amazing than an iPad is to the latest generation).

While the mindset lists of past generations are presented as entertaining and thought-provoking Americana history lessons, an occasional whiff of political opinion taints some of the mindset lists and their explanatory text. For example, I found the book's depiction of the class of 1983 as somewhat suffering under the rule of Reagan a bit off-base. As a member of the class of 1984, the Reagan years represented booming optimism for most everyone I knew in high-school and college ... we no longer feared the threat of the Soviet Union/nuclear war and future opportunity seemed limitless if desire and a little elbow-grease were applied. Additionally, the projected mindset list for the class of 2026 combines some bizarre speculation with a little wishful thinking on behalf of the authors. Somehow environmental issues will dominate the youngest generation's mindset list, even though as the book was being written, the world was steaming toward economic melt-down and maybe even another global war is in the horizon. The books final chapter presents the authors' somewhat sincere rationale/excuse for the bombastic predictions of the class of 2026's mindset list, but I don't buy it.

THE MINDSET LIST is an entertaining read with an added dose of nostalgia. For some, the book may explain our parents are so "square" and for others, it may offer reasonable justification for grandma or grandpa's weirdness. While THE MINDSET LIST may still make some people believe life was better in the past or that future generations will have it made; I think most may find themselves realizing the grass is greener right where they are at. (less)

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Apr 04, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

First one should undestand that when reading this book they are talking about graduating high school classes of the year, not college or people being born in that year. This was really informative book. I found myself saying "I have no clue what they are talking about" so I would have to ask others around me. When it came to my generation I totally understood what everything was. I could not read the class of 2026 because it seemed like a negative chapter of America's fututre. I logged on to the...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 100-s-psychology, 300s-american-studies, 300s-current-events

It is said that major personal or world events that occur during a person's tenth year shape the way they perceive the world. This book of lists captures each graduating class worldview in time period selected: 1898, 1918, 1931, 1944, 1957, 1970, 1983, 1996, 2009, 2026. That is, from the perspective of 18 year olds, they identify what has "always been true" for their cohort. Used in Writer's Group as a writing exercise as we determined who to format information, identify meaningful issues and ma...more

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Jun 25, 2012 John Volker rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book in several ways. First, gaining some understanding of the mindset and perception of the world that each generation in the US had was interesting and provided some background understanding to certain historical events. Second, and to my mind more importantly, was a developing awareness that not all members of each generation would have had the experiences that led to the mindset. I do think that the mindset list is very much a middle and upperclass perception. Highly recommend...more

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May 03, 2012 Alicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, grad-school, professional-devlopment

Every August I eagerly await the release of the Beloit College Mindset List. Working in Student Affairs, it's always nice to get a glimpse into the mindset of the incoming Freshman class. When I heard that the list had turned into a book, I was excited to see the list expanded.

The book takes generations who would have graduated HS in 898,1918,1931,1944,1957,1970,1983,1996,2009,and looks at the events that have shaped their generation both before they were born as as they grew up. We always joke...more

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Nov 06, 2011 MrsB rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is written by the Beloit college professors who put out the annual Mindset list. I found it a very enjoyable read. It covers generations 13 years apart beginning with the class of 1898 through 2009. It also jumps ahead to the class of 2026. I found myself skipping over the lists and jumping right to the narrative since everything in the list would appear in the narrative portion. It's interesting to see how some things never change. I especially liked the coverage of the more recent cl...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Sydney Young rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very interesting way to get insight into everyone in your life. If you enjoy those email lists that go around, you'll enjoy this. If you are employed in any venue of public service, you should read this book. I've noticed as a lawyer that generations do respond differently and have different expectations. I try to meet them where they are, and I think that what I gained from this book will be helpful in this goal. This is probably also a must have reference book for any writer or historian. The...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was good light reading, an entertaining look at what different generations of Americans have thought of as normal life. I certainly identified with the chapter closest to my high-school graduation year, and the chapters closest to my children and my parents.

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Jan 12, 2012 Amanda Perrine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

If you enjoy reading the Mindset lists from Beloit College every year, this book is for you. Also recommended for genealogists and historians. It shows how the world have changed from the time of our great-great grandparents to a guess of what our children and grandchildren will think.

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Dec 30, 2011 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting social history, though the prose plods. When you finish the book, you realize that it has more implications, and you've learned more, than you thought as you were going through it. I found that the authors were often not quite on the mark dealing with older generations, but they delivered spot-on insights for recent "classes" and revealed that kids who will graduate from college in 2013 live in a very different world from mine. A useful reminder that we should all be tolerant of thos...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bpl-returned-read

introduction page 1 of 9. there is a series of mindset lists. must check them out

still testing progress reports...I am thinking of grandma and grandpa, while reading this section

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May 19, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Like many people I look at the lists yearly when they come out, looking for something that might help me understand my own 8th grade students. The book was interesting in that it skipped years so you could really see big shifts. I liked the chapter on the predictions for kids born in 2008.

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Nov 25, 2011 Connie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I confess that I am one of many in academia who look forward to the annual Mindset List. This year, I noticed that the authors had decided to expand upon their research and publish a book. I like history. I like pop culture. I like the sociology and weaving of the two together-- plus, I work with college students (mostly first and second year students) so I can find direct parallels at work. You don't have to read this one cover to cover. You can jump to the chapters/cohorts you are interested i...more

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Jul 17, 2012 ACRL added it

Shelves: motw

Read by ACRL Member of the Week Lisa R. Horowitz. Learn more about Lisa on the ACRL Insider blog.

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Sep 03, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It's a well-written look at how we as contemporary America got from "there to here" and what previous generations were like. It's not overly scholarly and the writing style is conversational and comfortable.

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Apr 29, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's so fun to go back in time and see what different generations were really thinking and believing. I'm using this book for a decade research project that my juniors are doing. Great information!

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Nov 11, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://blog.crazyforwords.com/2011/11...

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Oct 08, 2011 Luci rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Short, entertaining little read. Anybody who likes those lists should pick this up.

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Nov 17, 2011 Olivia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Not my favorite. Not what I thought it was going to be actually. The list were good, but the chapters following the lists were very dry and boring. Could hardly make it through the book.

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Oct 08, 2011 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-non-fict

Completation of lists from Beloit college to help staff understand incoming freshman better. Interesting if a little confusing.

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Feb 27, 2012 RoseAnn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have always enjoyed the yearly mindset lists and seeing a compilation dating back to the early 1900s and then extrapolating forward to 2026 was a great way to see just how quickly things change!

I also enjoyed the explanations that followed the lists themselves, as some of the items weren't self-explanatory to me.

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Dec 13, 2011 Lynne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not as interesting as I had hoped, but fun to flip thru. I especially like the last chapter where the authors are predicting the future.

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Apr 09, 2013 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think it got wierd at the end...who can really say what the future will hold....

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May 06, 2013 David White added it

Apr 27, 2013 Danny Volt is currently reading it

May 18, 2013 Tia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11th-grade

Apr 23, 2013 Mickslibrarian marked it as to-read

Apr 04, 2013 Liss added it

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About Tom McBride

Tom McBride is a professor of English, and Keefer and Keefer Professor of Humanities at Beloit, where he was also the long-time director of the colleges first year students program. Ron Nief is the former Public Affairs director of Beloit College who developed the Mindset List in 1998."

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