by Ben Sasse
First published 2017
Young Americans face a crisis of maturity. Senator Ben Sasse argues that overprotective parenting and misguided government programs have created a generation unprepared for adult responsibilities. The numbers tell a stark story: thirty percent of college students quit after their first year, and only four in ten earn degrees. One third of adults aged eighteen to thirty-four still live with their parents. Traditional coming-of-age experiences like manual labor, leaving home, and achieving financial independence get postponed or abandoned entirely. Sasse draws on his experience as a college president to diagnose why young people struggle to mature. He prescribes specific formative experiences: hard work to understand labor's value, travel to witness hardship, reading for intellectual growth, and physical fitness. Parents receive concrete guidance for encouraging these pursuits. Sasse warns that democracy requires responsible adults to function. Without them, the nation becomes vulnerable to populist manipulation. His book challenges parents to reconsider how they raise children and connects child-rearing practices to America's political future.
Genres: american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, parenting, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: call-to-action, social-commentary
Period: 21st Century
320 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press