Chapter 1, Winter Comes Again Summary and Analysis

The Fourth Turning is a book that "turns history into prophesy." It argues that American history is cyclical, coming in four seasons or periods. Today (1997) we feel as if the country is unraveling. People are uneasy, aimless and adrift. The authors suggest that this is because we are moving into a new period of American history. There are four 'turnings' in the life of each people across its history. The First Turning is a 'high' - the people of this generation strengthen civic institutions and work together. New civic institutions replace the old ones and old values are abandoned. The Second Turning is an 'awakening' or an era of spiritual rebirth. The civic order, which was once widely lauded, comes under attack from a new system of values. The Third Turning is an 'unraveling'. Individualism...