The Aftermath

The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America

By: Philip Bump

Narrated by: Matthew Berry

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

A widely-followed Washington Post columnist takes a deep dive into what the end of the baby boom means for American politics and economics.

Philip Bump, a reporter as adept with a graph as with a paragraph, is popular for his ability to distill vast amounts of data into accessible stories. THE AFTERMATH is a sweeping assessment of how the baby boom created modern America, and where power, wealth, and politics will shift as the boom ends. How much longer than we'd expected will Boomers control wealth? Will millennials get shortchanged for jobs and capital as Gen Z rises? What kind of pressure will Boomers exert on the health care system? How do generations and parties overlap? When will regional identity trump age or ethnic or racial identity? Who will the future GOP voter be, and how does that affect Democratic strategies? What does the Census get right, and terribly wrong? The questions are myriad, and Bump is here to fight speculation with fact.

Writing with a light hand and deft humor, Bump helps us navigate the flood of data in which our sense of the country now drowns. He fits numbers into a narrative about who we are (including what "we" really means), how we vote, where we live, what we buy—and what predictions we can make with any confidence. We know what will happen eventually to the baby boomers. What we don't know is how the boomer legacies might reshape the country one final time. The answers in this book will help us manage the historic disruption of the American state we are now experiencing.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of charts from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Philip Bump (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A fascinating account of demographic change and future possibilities” —The Guardian

“[A] highly detailed, data-driven, definitive story of how baby boomers changed America and a little forecasting of what might come next...Bump is a reliable, honest narrator who leans into complexity and refuses simple or singular explanations.” —The Washington Post

"Whether we're talking about politics, the economy, culture or generational shifts in America, who doesn't want to know 'what's going to happen next?' Amidst so much change and disruption, it's almost impossible to see the future clearly, but Philip Bump manages to do just that. A lively, engaging, and provocative read, The Aftermath covers the contours of the Baby Boomers' many contributions and failures, while laying out the stakes for the future of equity, power, and everything that matters in American life." —CNN Political Commentator, S.E. Cupp

Only half is about boomers

The first half of the book was about the boomers. Some probably most people already know but there were definitely some topics that gave a new angle or interesting insight. Then it goes off on a tangent and starts to talk about the typical politicized topics - democracy, election, Trump, climate change, etc. and provides very little connection to the boomers. It was disappointing and very boring toward the end.

Interesting Look at American Beliefs by Age Group

I am on the last chapter—I really like the content. Utter fascinating! And the analysis is excellent. I know individuals in almost every category/sub-group described. It very aptly helps me understand some views of those who hold views other than mine.

The presenter mispronounces enough words to make me irritable. For instance—the word "popular" is pronounced "pop-A-ler over and over again. Other words with a "u" between two syllables are similarly mispronounced and the syllables following the "u" are mumble-mangled. Sorry, that really bothers me. Also, his pronunciation of the word "gender" sounds like "ginger."

This is a time I should have purchased the print version.

what a cool, smart book!

Bump runs the numbers, as is his wont, but he also flexes his muscles as a teller of stories and spinner of yarns. He ties his charts and numbers together with some of the smoothest, most delightful text he's ever produced. You'll find plenty that's new and novel here, even if you've run all the numbers yourself a dozen times and read almost everything Philip has written.

Understanding My Generation

This book provided insight into Baby Boomers and their value system. It gave me the tools to understand the difference between my children, grandchildren. and myself. I loved the numbers! They provided objectify. The book was validating and eye opening. I loved it.

One of the finer books explaining life in America

I like the way the information in the book was put together. It was like a very easy puzzle. I would recommend that every high school in America require this book. I would say to the author he should be very proud of his body of work.

Narrator's pronunciation - a bummer

I agree with Terre Spencer (see their review). The narrator mangles words. I am fairly forgiving when placenames are mispronounced but common words should never be mispronounced. I found it particularly jarring to hear "particuLARRILY" (adding an i before the last L) over and over throughout the book. That was my annoyance. Otherwise, the content and presentation of evidence was good.

Fact over Fiction

A very interesting and compelling book that has been meticulously researched. It shows the possibilities of how our country has evolved on many fronts and how it may in the future. Sometimes the data can be a bit overwhelming. All in, very good.

Started Good

It started good and had some interesting/fun facts about the baby boom. Then it started to just be about politics and race. Republicans this, democrats that. Rural vs urban. White people this white people that. White majority becoming minority. White racial identity. White, white, white white white. If I had a nickel every time the guy says white I could retire.

Derivative retelling of well known statistics

My guess would be that the audience for this book is the same that keeps up with US politics, follows the news and listens to NYT or NPR podcasts. Do yourself a favor and don't bother with this. You will learn nothing new.

Political Hit Job

He is a political activist. Don't waste your time. I really thought he had something to say but very disappointing.