Can you describe the 1960s?

I saw Tom Brokaw interviewed about the book, and just bought it for my dad for Christmas! The 60's to me...peace, love and rock and roll! Of course I was in grade school, so I didn't get to do any of those things!

the 1960's lastest about 5 months for me.

aside from the brave men and woman who were sent off to fight a war, which was started by a lie, by LBJ, the 60's was an era of doped up losers.

I was still a dream in the 60's. lol

A time when young people learned that it is good to question

I'm reading this book now. At first I resented the insertion of BOOM! after every paragraph, and the perception that someone who actually lived through the 60s needed to read about it -- BUT -- eventually Mr Brokaw's "voice" captivated me. His writing is wordy but fluid, and his insight into events - ones I experienced as a teenager but he experienced as an adult in his 20s - gave me a new perspective. I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and can recommend it.
I'll have to finish BOOM! before I can give you my new impression of the 60's. My old one was of pure exhilarating fun!

Sue S., you might enjoy the Midday audio. Brokaw expands on his take - he felt like he had one foot in the "psychedelic 60s" and the other in the "terra firma 50s" P.S. It's never too late!

Well, Don B, you're free to share what you do remember. *grin*

Joseph H., I'm not sure how to reply to that. You were either born in mid-1969 or time bended for you... or at least that's the kind of thing the guys on the bus would say.

Not sure "doped up losers" would work as a book title, micky d. but I asked and you answered!

Chuck M. are you speaking literally? I seem to be having some trouble with that in this discussion.

Kay M, your reply reminded me that Brokaw said something to the effect he felt it was the provocative generation, but it didn't sit right with him or wasn't representative enough.

Very cool, Richard Frisbie, and I hope you publish a book review.

Before my time? :-)

There is a social theory that the strong values held by adults in a society weaken with each generation because the context or events that gave rise to them are increasingly distant.

After a number of generations the values become weak enough that the young in the society have insufficient sense of who they are and what they should stand for, so there is a motivation to discover what's missing, to establish new, stronger values they can embrace as their own.

This may have been one of the dynamics going on in the 60s. The VietNam war and the disregard of the environment both gave the young a place to rally and create new values they could use to guide their lives.

Maybe the 2020s will find us in a similar situation.

The 60's was a decade begun with a promise and a dream, that ended in hate, narcisism and indulgence.

I don't remember much of the 60's except for watching Batman, The Monkees, and the moon landing. And Senor Wencas and Topo Gigio on the Ed Sullivan Show. I loved that guy... 'Sa'llright..."

Wow, Julia. This is timely. Tom Brokaw has joined Gather and will be doing a Live Chat on Monday, December 17th at 7 p.m. ET to talk about BOOM! and the '60s. We will have a great content series and chances to win the book as well. Stay tuned!

Well played, WS R.

John Philipp, your answer got me thinking. Do you think there's a way for us to create a "social lessons time capsule" or do you think the Internet will naturally lend itself that sort of exploration in the future?

To your point, Greg, all I can say is that seems to be a recurring pattern.

Frick, those critically important cultural references have been lacking here. *grin* Actually, I was just thinking about The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville"...

Fantastic, Jennifer! Please share links as they become available!

A negative spin on the 60s would be that it was a time of disillusionment. But another way of looking at that is that the 60s was when America's youth became proactive. Rather than taking everything at face value, as a country, we began to question self-proclaimed experts. We also began leaving behind the collective and started forging out as individuals. This was also the infancy of the Me-generation.

Good or bad, right or wrong. We moved from the group mind-set to one of more individualized thinking.

For those who hang their hats on the 1960's as being a time of questioning, I nod my head in agreement, then note that those who challenged authority and society, were willing to question everything but themselves.

That's true, Greg. But then, if one is questioning everything under the sun, one needs to have some truth on which to hang. Yes? I suppose that anchor would be G-d or self, apparently for some, those two terms are interchangable. ;-)

What years constitute the 60s? If you look at January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, it looks rather schizophrenic. The early years still had a 50s flavor while the end was quite different. I have read an analysis that says the 60s really started after Kennedy was assassinated and ended when Nixon resigned. I think the experience of the 60s also depended on where you were born in the boomer generation. My brother was born in 1947, graduated from high school in 1965, and college in 1969. He was involved in war protests (including turning his back on his graduation speaker - Henry Kissinger). He filed as a conscientious objector with his draft board and did alternative service working in the prison system. He was quite liberal, experimental then. Now he's a Republican. I was born in 1952, graduated from high school in 1970, and college in 1974. I was anti-war, but not a protester. I visited Europe for the first time in 1969 and was surprised at how much good will there was toward the United States. Good will seemed very absent at home. I worried through a couple draft lotteries with my boyfriend. And while I was in college, the voting age was lowered to 18. I voted for the first time in 1972. I remember this being a rather chaotic time and having real concerns that the country could disintegrate into a new civil war. My college years were disrupted several times by student strikes, teach-ins, be-ins, and more. I loved being in the academic world and couldn't understand my classmates would do these kinds of things. This was a time when the traditional educational canon was under siege. My boyfriend was disgusted when they got choose their own reading selections in an English class. He wanted to be schooled in enduring classics. I think I missed out on some things I should know as a college graduate because fewer core classes were required when I was in school than in years past.

Well Susan, I tend to think the 1960's swapped one orthodoxy for another. Today we call the new orthodoxy "political correctness".

Julia re: "Do you think there's a way for us to create a "social lessons time capsule?"

The short answer is yes, but it may more be a social "decisions" calendar. The learning is questionable.

Julia - my review is here - Titled :: A Different View
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977193180

For those who did not have to go to Viet Nam, Manhattan in the 60s was a big hippy gypsy love-in costume party, lots of patchouli, grass, gurus, rock and roll, a blast! Then Nixon came in and hard drugs began to rule. Then came the 70s.

A little before my time.........