Just reading the contents page, I had the feeling this could be a good read and I wasn’t disappointed.

In this punchy little book, Trey Willis makes logical, well-researched and largely convincing arguments for why his own Generation Y is essentially selfish, especially when compared to previous generations of North Americans.

He looks at popular culture (including the rise of reality TV) and a sense of entitlement that dominates many younger peoples’ attitudes to society, work and even family. Willis lays the blame for this at the feet of what he pointedly terms “The Self Esteem Movement” that started influencing worldwide populations from California in the 1980’s.

He also uses scientific studies to show that none of us is innately special.

In fact, he concludes that teacher’s and parent’s attempts to inject children with confidence often end up in creating anxious, needy and insecure young adults.

Willis is just as persuasive when he points out that the right to happiness is not a right at all.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the modern world in its sometimes bizarre complexity.

The author himself explains the book this way:

“Just about everyone under the age of thirty is an entitled, unhappy, lazy, shallow, egomaniacal monster. At least that’s what they say. They, of course, are pretty much anyone over the age of thirty. They are also pretty accurate in their description of us. This has become something of a problem for our society. The Self-Esteem Movement was the catalyst for the shift in cultural norms and values that has allegedly ruined an entire generation. Everyone was suddenly a special and unique little snowflake. Trophies were mandatory. Success became an expectation. We have been corrupted by self-esteem.

This warrants discussion, but no ordinary discussion will do. Bear witness as one of these snowflakes attempts to examine the detrimental and lingering impact of the Self-Esteem Movement through topics including television, education, Sigmund Freud, stand-up comedy, region, mental illness, baseball, pornography, and a number of other things that are at least somewhat relevant. You are not special. Neither am I.”