Author Jeff Gordinier Reads from X Saves the World

Jeff Gordinier reads a chapter from his new book, X Saves the World: How Generation X Got the Shaft but Still Keeps the World from Sucking.

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[26789mzx]

Gen Xers are the LARGEST U.S. generational population. They're born between the years 1961 - 1981. The total U.S. Gen X population is 93,000,000 people. See New York Times bestselling book titled "Generations" by experts Strauss and Howe (see page 318).

H&S project the Millennials, born 1982 – 2002, at 76,000,000 people in the U.S. (updated to 90-95m) p. 336

Baby Boomers are estimated at 79,000,000 people in the U.S.

p. 300

The "Silent" generation is at 49,000,000 people in the U.S.

p. 280

[pacornerpolska]

I was born in Nov. 1978 so I guess I'm the very tail end of Generation X. I was 16 at the height of grunge but for years I felt left out - jealous of my older peers who got the Beatles and Rolling Stones to call their own.. and me: I got the Spice Girls :( But the older I get the more I see we had our own style and identity. I'm a teacher now and the kids are harking back to Nirvana, Guns n Roses, Metallica, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam as cultural icons. This was my time and I am proud of it.!

[sisyphus650]

From 1972 to 1977 where some of the lowest birth rates in the U.S. particularly 1973(average 3.1 million) From 1965 to 1988 , birth rates were in the 3 million range. But I still say 1965 to 1978 is Gen X or "baby buster" because the yearly birthrate started climbing from 3.1 average in the mid-70s to 3.5 mil per year from 79 to 1990.

[sisyphus650]

Gen X is 1965-1978. Check your yearly birth rate census. What annoys me is when people add the years 1961-1964 to Gen X. Those 4 years had around 4 million births per year the same as the average rate from 46 to 1960. How us that X? 1979 to 1981 were catalyst years for the second coming of baby boomers or millenials.

[sisyphus650]

Test

[chroniclerofthe70s]

A generation can perhaps be defined by commonly shared cultural experiences which include pop culture, technology, and cultural norms or expectations.

A span of 15 years give or take a year seems to satisy this premise.

[mpm2010lbc]

@HellsintowN2 You are Gen X. Most definitions for Gen X is 1965-1980.

[MrEX3]

Watching Conans last show tonight, I just can't help the feeling that gen X is sort of used to getting swept under the rug.

Leno is a bloated gasbag who's un funniness won't stop and listen long enough to realize that perhaps it's simply time to take a bow.

[fearlesssockpuppet]

You took the words right out of mouth. Born in Jan. '80, too!

Here's a word of hope: If you ever pick up Douglas Coupland's book that started it all, "Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture", you'll read that Coupland regarded X as more of a state of mind than a specific generation. Mentally, I am an Xer.