Book · 1997 · History
The fourth turning
What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny
#143 of 16,686 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- mentions
- 37
- people
- 16
- podcasts
- 10
- episodes
- 34
- critical mentions
- 0
The conceit of the book is that there are seasons in history.
Tony Robbins · On Purpose with Jay Shetty · Apr 2022 Listen at 1:26:07 What they say about it
- Discusses generational theory and Strauss-Howe“Strauss Howe generational theory”3

- References the year 2028 crisis“predicts that 2028 is supposed to be”3
- Asks if someone read the book“have you read the fourth turning”3


The best things said about it
There's a really cool book is it the Strauss how generational theory is that it that's it that's it you guys got it so if you read St Howen about generational Theory there's there's a book called the fourth turning that I interviewed these guys turning fourth turning it's a book worth reading.
Tony Robbins This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von · Jan 2024 This is a book called The Fourth Turning and they talk about how there's four seasons every 20 years.
The fourth turning is all sorts of things, right? Political instability, debasement of currency, civil unrest, and the breakdown of the family.
They predicted in like in the 90s when they wrote this book called the fourth turning that in 2008 when Boomers became eligible for Social Security the economic system was going to collapse.
I love Van Neistat's book report on The Fourth Turning. It's just thought-provoking.
I recommend everybody read this book right just it's very dense.
Steve Bannon Timcast IRL · Jun 2021 Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
How it comes up
16 people who brought it up
Tony Robbins4 mentions · 3 recs- Andy Frisella2 mentions · 2 recs
- Tim Pool13 mentions · 1 rec
David Heinemeier Hansson1 mention · 1 rec- Jason Yanowitz1 mention · 1 rec
- Jeremy Slate1 mention · 1 rec
Steve Bannon1 mention · 1 rec- Ben Stewart3 mentions
Carl Benjamin1 mention- Chase Geiser1 mention
- Chris Sacca1 mention
- David Reaboi1 mention
Why people recommend it
The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe is a generational theory book that argues history moves in cyclical seasons leading to major societal transformations and crises. The title has received widespread recommendations from numerous podcast hosts exploring historical patterns and current events. Andy Frisella recommended the book on REAL AF with Andy Frisella to illustrate how history repeats itself and to explain modern societal cycles. David Heinemeier Hansson mentioned reading the work on the Lex Fridman Podcast when discussing the future of programming and historical recurring trends. Jeremy Slate brought up the book on The Shawn Ryan Show during a conversation about the fatal decisions of empires and generational patterns. Tony Robbins recommended the text across multiple platforms, including Modern Wisdom, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, and On Purpose with Jay Shetty, praising the authors' generational framework and the book's core premise regarding historical seasons. Additionally, Jason Yanowitz discussed the work on My First Million with Shaan Puri, noting its value despite its length. These discussions emphasize the book's enduring appeal for thinkers trying to make sense of large-scale societal shifts and historical recurrences.
Every mention
Tony Robbins I don't know if you've read the fourth turning did you read that book by chance 4
“I don't know if you've read the fourth turning did you read that book by chance”
“there's a really cool book is it the Strauss how generational theory is that it that's it that's it you guys got it so if you read St Howen about generational Theory there's there's a book called the fourth turning that I interviewed these guys turning fourth turning it's a book worth reading”
“If you wanted to talk about cycles—there was a book I read, I think it came out in the early '90s—it’s called The Fourth Turning.”
“It's called The Fourth Turning. And it's it has a The conceit of the book is that there are seasons in history.”
Andy Frisella history repeats itself. There's a book called The Fourth Turning. All right? It explains this, dude. 2
“go look at the fourth turning”
“history repeats itself. There's a book called The Fourth Turning. All right? It explains this, dude.”
Tim Pool shout out to the fourth turning which you're familiar with I believe yes i'm not stross how generational th… 13
“This will be a massive period of let's, you know, this might be the fourth turning. This might be the great collapse period we get in this generation.”
“So we've got the fourth turning you know straw out generational theory. I'm going to throw this is bothering me. You want to rotate that that way. No other other way. Oh yeah. I'm just get my OCD on. Uh straw straw generational theory predicts that 2028 is supposed to be the the year of the great crisis. So, as”
“You'd think he wouldn't be a prized a lot of stuff, but he asked me if I'd ever read about the fourth turning, and I was like, "Oh boy, how many how much time do you got?"”
“because fourth turning as some people reference it there's that thought I was just reading that book what was it um then the Age of Enlightenment”
“maybe the fourth turning is upon us you're familiar with uh what do you what do you think and do you think this plays anything into it”
“we did that first episode on the fourth turning and going through the book and everything”
“you guys know about the fourth turning yeah yeah yeah we had uh um um who was it was it ben norton uh ben stewart ben stewart”
“shout out to the fourth turning which you're familiar with I believe yes i'm not stross how generational theory”
“this is a book called the fourth turning and they talk about how there's four seasons every 20 years”
“they predicted in like in the 90s when they wrote this book called the fourth turning that in 2008 when Boomers became eligible for Social Security the economic system was going to collapse”
“according to a theory prophesied in neil howe and william strasse's the fourth turning the authors wrote the next crisis era would start around 2005 and climax around 2020 and would involve millennials and boomers fighting over the shape of the world to come”
“the fourth turning history predestined the millennial crisis 2005 2030 as generational ideologies conflict”
“fourth turning theory or simply the fourth turning describes a theorized recurring generation cycle in American history and global history”
David Heinemeier Hansson - I read this book The Fourth Turning. You check that out. It talks about this notion of 1
“- I read this book The Fourth Turning. You check that out. It talks about this notion of”
Jason Yanowitz fourth turning is good how long is that book dude I I can't do read a thousand pages on this topic 1
“fourth turning is good how long is that book dude I I can't do read a thousand pages on this topic”
Jeremy Slate He wrote the book The Fourth Turning. I'm trying to remember what his name is. 1
“He wrote the book The Fourth Turning. I'm trying to remember what his name is.”
Steve Bannon and i'll raise it up a little bit and i recommend everybody read this book right just just it's very dense 1
“and i'll raise it up a little bit and i recommend everybody read this book right just just it's very dense”
Ben Stewart so neil howe and william strauss wrote a book back published in 1997 i think they researched it for 10 year… 3
“actually what was it tony robbins just had on who's the surviving one william strauss or neil theory one of them died yeah one of them died but the other one was just talking tony robbins and it's getting getting kind of real in this fourth turn but apparently it ends 20 28. it's neil how's the one that's still”
“so neil howe and william strauss wrote a book back published in 1997 i think they researched it for 10 years and it's called the fourth turning”
“but in chapter six of the book the fourth turning there's eerie like very eerie kinds of predictions that go right into what you could call now the winter period the crisis period”
Carl Benjamin have you read the first the fourth turning so uh this is exactly what it's talking about it's talking about… 1
“have you read the first the fourth turning so uh this is exactly what it's talking about it's talking about our generation of like you know the sort of gen xers who grew up uh kind of nomadic with our parents just having no idea where we are with literal advertisements coming on at 10 pm saying”
Chase Geiser if you read like the fourth turning and if if you think that maybe we're on the verge of a economic collaps… 1
“if you read like the fourth turning and if if you think that maybe we're on the verge of a economic collapse 2028 I'm very much concerned about the fork in the road that we will be at where as a country we're going to choose I think much like the whiteart Republic had to choose Germans had to choose”
Chris Sacca I love van neistat's book report on the fourth turning it's just thought-provoking 1
“I love van neistat's book report on the fourth turning it's just thought-provoking”
David Reaboi i know we're i was just talking earlier about strauss and how in the fourth turning 1
“i know we're i was just talking earlier about strauss and how in the fourth turning”
Ian Crossland as i point to the book you have in front of you the fourth turning yeah and we we talked about this with i… 1
“as i point to the book you have in front of you the fourth turning yeah and we we talked about this with i think it was ben stewart right yes the the fourth turning”
Jack Posobiec Or the worst part if it, and this is something that even Neil Howell got into in 'The Fourth Turning,' is t… 1
“Or the worst part if it, and this is something that even Neil Howell got into in 'The Fourth Turning,' is that the new version of it was that if a war starts and then there's a provocation in the US or Ukraine or somewhere in Europe and somehow it gets blamed on Trump, and it gets blamed on MAGA,”
Mark Mitchell And so what I've been following is signs of potentially I'm a believer of the fourth turning um idea of how… 1
“And so what I've been following is signs of potentially I'm a believer of the fourth turning um idea of how this is developing.”
Van Neistat Have you read "The Fourth Turning," do you know that book? No, but I saw your book report. It's so good. 'C… 1
“Have you read "The Fourth Turning," do you know that book? No, but I saw your book report. It's so good. 'Cause these guys are financial guys and you can trust these guys. I know it sounds weird. These financial guys, they make these predictions.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker3
“Have you, not to digress, but have you guys discussed the fourth turning on this show before? Adnauseium. Yeah. Like we're there and and the fourth turning is all sorts of things, right? Political instability, debasement of currency, um civil unrest, uh and the breakdown of the family.”
“Well, no, World War I and World War II were only... it's the generational theory, the fourth turning.”
“when we talk about you you know the the uh the fourth turning we're in the the end stages it's supposed to get crazy”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (8: passing, ad reads, own books)
“So yeah, this sounds fascinating and have they talked about the American empire when they when they talk about stuff? Do they try to Oh, the fourth turning is the other book.”
“It's the fourth turning, bro. There's there's book there's book about this. It's called the fourth turning.”
“it's sort of that Cycle Theory of of of you know the fourth turning I think it affects your views on investments too”
“it's like the fourth turning it's a straw out generational Theory”
“and if you have been reading i i've been reading all of those books lately about the cycles of history the fourth turning and the ray dalio book and and even just even a casual student of history understands that it repeats it real time is cyclical”
“just finished reading the fourth turning and wow crazy accurate for being written in 1996”
“we've got the fourth turning we've got the acidity strap and now we've got some mit report okay the apocalypse is happening well we'll talk all about it joining us today is of course jack besovic welcome welcome everyone we are here for the fourth turning”
“any of y'all read the fourth turning an American prophecy it looks into cycles of peace conflict and growth it predicts large conflict and possible change of social structure between 2020 and 2025”




