A social historian examines the use of technology in modern U.S. history and offers a different way to group American generations. The G.I. Generation. Silents. Baby Boomers. Gen Xers. Millenials. Generation Z. Every generation has its label and box. But the real question is: Why? Enter GenTech. It’s a whole new way to look at American generations. Instead of the conventional fixed and linear … the conventional fixed and linear dates for generational cohorts, Dr. Rick Chromey proposes a fresh understanding that’s fluid and more of a loop, rooted to the technology each generation experiences in their “coming of age” years.
Since 1900, there has been more technological change than in all of previous combined history. The airplane. The automobile. Radio. Television. Nuclear energy. Rockets. Internet. Cellphones. Robots. Furthermore, there’s a massive cultural shifting unlike anything witnessed since the Dark Ages gave way to the Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, Scientific, and Industrial Ages. Consequently, postmodern generations (born since 1960) have grown up in a new, cyber, wireless, and visual high-tech culture that’s forever changed how we do business, learn, socialize, broadcast, entertain, and worship.
It’s technology that shapes us, gives every generation its personality, and seeds who we’ll become tomorrow. GenTech opens a whole new perspective on how to view the world and understand why every generation matters.
Praise for GenTech
“Whether you’re a technology nerd or wizard, this intriguing book will help you connect the digital dots. You’ll see how technology is profoundly shaping our culture–and you, like it or not. Plus, you’ll discover how technology affects each generation differently, for better or worse.”–Thom Schultz, co-author of Don’t Just Teach…Reach!more
Thank you Iread Book Tours and the author for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
GenTech: An American Story Of Technology, Change And Who We Really Are
By: Dr. Rick Chromey
REVIEW
It’s funny what you remember. For example, I clearly recall the day my mother bought our first ever Nintendo and my brother and I playing Duck Hunt obsessively. And, the day my dad bought my first ever cell phone- I was standing in a Radio Shack (Google it) holding this weird thing wondering what??? And so many more-buying a desktop PC, installing a CD player in my truck (getting my first CD one Christmas), the giant radio with two!! cassette players in my room, my Sony Walkman, our VCR player (physically going to a video store and being so angry when my movie was checked out), recording mixtapes. A lot of you know exactly what I’m saying. A lot of you don’t have a clue what I’m saying. And why? Because we have grown up in different technological generations. When I think about the technology of my teen years and the technology of right now, it’s like a different culture on a far away planet. There are things I miss, things I’m sorry my children will not experience, like the old school library with actual books and a card catalog. I visited my favorite college library recently, and I wish I hadn’t. Gone were the endless rows and mazes of bookshelves and staircases and ladders and my favorite place to sit on the floor and hide and read in peace. Instead, a sleek, modern, open space filled with advanced technology coldly and impersonally greeted me. I hated it. I may sound insane and totally backwards, but I don’t want my kids to learn that way, the lifeless way, and lose the experience of finding answers by actually, physically and literally looking for them with time and effort. Again, it’s a generational issue of what influenced and shaped me into who I am versus what influences the current generation. Advanced doesn’t always mean better, especially when it comes to people. As time passes, the value of important things decreases, and I can’t agree with that. I’ve rambled on about my history because Dr. Rick Chromey’s book, GenTech, is an amazing in depth analysis about the history of influential technology through generations. He has meticulously organized and categorized the past several generations (20 years is a generation fyi) with dates, historical contexts and the most important technological innovations that influenced a particular generation. It’s rather fascinating and wholly unique to read, and I urge you to take a look at GenTech, and find your generation. I learned a bit about myself, a lot about the history of innovation and more than enough about why younger people look at me like I’m crazy when I say their music is, mostly, awful.
GenTech: An American Story of Technology, Change and Who We Really Are is a great read. It was well written and easy to read. I was intrigued by how much has changed with technology for the past one hundred and twenty years. I found it to be nostalgic to be reminded at some of the advances that happened during my childhood. It brought back some good memories. In addition to the technology, the book tells about many other changes socially and culturally. I am amazed at how far of advancement there has been through the years in my country.
GenTech: An American Story of Technology, Change and Who We Really Are made me think of my grandmother, who passed away at almost a hundred years old. It was fascinating to read in this book at all of the inventions and changes she lived throughout the 1900s and early 2000s. Some of which includes: radios to compact discs; airplanes to rockets; silent movies to watching movies at home; film cameras to phone cameras; televisions; three based television networks to cable; remote controls; credit cards; etc etc. That is not even including the wars, culture and social changes through the years she lived through.
I am giving GenTech: An American Story of Technology, Change and Who We Really Are a very well deserved five plus stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy to learn about twentieth century American history. I see Dr. Rick Chromey has other books he has written that I am looking forward to reading, as well.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Did you wonder what generation you were born into? What about the Technology that made you who you are? Well, GenTech is a book that may help with that. It a book about the American story through technology.
I have found this book to be interesting. I even found it to be informational. I now know why my grandma and my mom both seem different than me. Though not by age much but by technology. Mom seems to be born during the Boomer Generation, Technology – Space Generation, and grandma was born during the Silent Generation, Technology – Radio Generation. I was born during the Millennials Generation, But my Technology – The Cable Television Generation or PC-CP Generation.
I seem to of come of age during three different Generations. As I know, I experienced the Cable Television and the PC/CP Generation and a bit of the Net Generation as well. I was born in the last month of 1986. So I am not exactly sure which Technology Generation I fall into. As my Coming of age is spaced though more than one.
Other than that. This book was enjoyable. I do believe it explain most of America and us as we try and make our world better. It does explain Generations better then letters and or what we are dubbed when we are born. I believe the technology does make us who we are and our country as well. The technology that we grow up on is what defines us more than anything else. Some historical events will define us as well.