Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled, and More Miserable Than Ever Before / Jean M. Twenge / 243pp.

Twenge argues that people who are part of Generation Me (her term) are the first generation to be raised with a strong self-esteem culture taken for granted. This leads to more individualism, confidence, and sometimes narcissism and an inability to take criticism. A stronger sense of entitlement often leads this generation to disappointment and depression when they encounter a world contrary to the “your dreams will come true” philosophy with which they were raised.

This book was an interesting study of my generation filled with statistics, surveys and anecdotes. Not everything was flattering, but I felt it was fairly evenhanded with occasional snarkyness. Outside reviews, however, are mixed. Some found this book too critical of this generation, some found it highly accurate, and some took offense with Twenge’s claim that this generation has it extremely hard. Twenge includes herself in Generation Me and sees generational differences as inherent - not something to change. At the very least, this book provides interesting conversation starters.