Author Neil Howe and collaborator Bill Strauss began this work in the late 1980s, publishing Generations in 1991 and The Fourth Turning in 1997. Howe notes that the book has gained in popularity over time, particularly after events that seemed to vindicate their predictions: the 2008 global financial crisis, the emergence of the Millennial generation, and the political upheavals of 2016 and 2020.

Strauss died in the fall of 2007, just before the “Crisis” era they had anticipated. The book aims to answer when the current Fourth Turning began, how it has evolved, where it is heading, and how it will end. Howe reviews earlier Fourth Turnings, describes how each living generation will experience this era, and examines the First Turning that will follow.

He offers two pieces of counsel. First, Crises, though often frightening, are necessary seasons of change for society’s long-term health. Second, citing Leopold von Ranke, he urges readers not to judge generations as good or bad, observing that each tends to be what society requires at the time. He concludes that history’s deeper patterns are corrective and restorative.