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Robin Marantz Henig
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Twentysomething: Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck? Paperback – October 29, 2013

by Samantha Henig (Author), Robin Marantz Henig (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 27 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
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A mother-daughter writing team reports on what's really up with kids today

Science writer Robin Marantz Henig and her daughter, journalist Samantha Henig, offer a smart, comprehensive look at what it's really like to be twentysomething—and to what extent it’s different for Millennials than it was for their Baby Boomer parents. The Henigs combine the behavioral science literature for insights into how young people make choices about schooling, career, marriage, and childbearing; how they relate to parents, friends, and lovers; and how technology both speeds everything up
and slows everything down. Packed with often-surprising discoveries, Twentysomething is a two-generation conversation that will become the definitive book on being young in our time.

"The fullest guide through this territory . . . A densely researched report on the state of middleclass young people today, drawn from several data sources and fi­ltered through a comparative lens."
—­The New Yorker
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Plume
  4. Publication date
    October 29, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.48 x 0.66 x 8.45 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780142180341
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0142180341
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Must Read for November 2012
–Oprah Magazine

"The fullest guide through this territory...a densely researched report on the state of middle-class young people today."
–The New Yorker
 
“Provocative information presented compellingly”
–Kirkus
 
“With humor and insight, the authors deftly volley commentary and observation across the generation gap”
–Publishers Weekly

 “In this provocative, comprehensive, and often very funny examination of the phenomenon of 'twentysomething,' Robin Marantz Henig and Samantha Henig provide the perspective of two generations on this new stage of life. Anyone who is twentysomething, is related to a twentysomething, or works with a twentysomething, will want to read this book."

—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

“Parents will love this fascinating, fact-packed mother-daughter dialogue, and so will their 'emerging adult' sons and daughters. If you think today's young people are another species entirely, you've forgotten way too much about your own early struggles and screwups.”

—Katha Pollitt, author of Learning to Drive: And Other Life Stories

“Losing sleep because you think your grown kids are behaving like the characters in the HBO series, 'Girls'? Twentysomething will calm your nerves. Smart, well-researched, down-to-earth and lively, this mother-daughter collaboration is chock full of important insight into the newest generation coming of age.”
—Jane Isay, author of Walking on Eggshells and Mom Still Likes You Best

“Mixing rigorous empirical evidence, testimony from twentysomethings themselves, and the astute observations of a mother and her twentysomething daughter, this insightful and engaging book shows us that sound bites and slogans are just not up to the task of capturing life as it being lived by young adults. Highly recommended!"

—Barry Schwartz, Ph.D. author of The Paradox of Choice and Practical Wisdom

“If you want to understand young people in the decade after college graduation—their anxiety about work and relationships, intensity of friendships, and feelings of drive and dislocation—this book is the perfect guide. Robin Marantz Henig and Samantha Henig weave the relevant research into an entertaining narrative, and their mother-daughter patter is a pure delight.”

—Emily Bazelon, author of Sticks and Stones: The New Problem of Bullying and How To Solve It
 

About the Author

Robin Marantz Henig is an author and journalist. She has written eight previous books and is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine. Her daughter, Samantha Henig, is a journalist in her mid-twenties. She is the web editor of the New York Times Magazine. They live in New York City.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0142180343
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plume; Reprint edition (October 29, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780142180341
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0142180341
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.48 x 0.66 x 8.45 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

About the author

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Robin Marantz Henig

Robin Marantz Henig

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I'm a long-time science journalist and a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. In addition to my most recent book -- Twentysomething: Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck?, co-authored with my daughter Samantha Henig -- I've written eight others, as well as articles about health and medicine for The New York Times Magazine, Civilization, Discover, Scientific American, Newsweek, Slate, and just about every woman's magazine in the grocery store. I'm vice president of the National Association of Science Writers, doyenne of a terrific writers salon that meets periodically in my living room, and in 2010 I received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors as well as a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship.

I went to Cornell, where I met my husband Jeff, a political scientist who teaches at Columbia University's Teachers College. Jeff and I raised our daughters, Samantha and her older sister Jess, in Takoma Park, Maryland, while Jeff was teaching at George Washington University. Now we're empty nesters in Manhattan, and spend our free time going to movies and museums, walking in Central Park, and reading for our co-ed book club.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
27 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book helpful for parents of young adults, with one mentioning it provides a coherent road map to understanding their children. Customers describe the book as thought-provoking and interesting.

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5 customers mention "Help for parents"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for parents of young adults, with one mentioning it provides a coherent road map to understanding their children, and another noting it's a perfect gift for Baby Boomer parents.

"...PSA to other 20-somethings: This is a holiday present for worried Baby Boomer parents that will give right back to you, too...." Read more

"is helpful to parents of young adults. It gave me some insight into my sons' relationship drama throughout the years." Read more

"Finally a coherent road map to understanding my kids and a guide to having them understand me...." Read more

"Good explanation-no excuse..." Read more

5 customers mention "Thought provoking"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and interesting, with one customer noting its nonjudgmental approach to discussion.

"...I have not finished it yet, however, it does give good insight. It explains what goes on generally and why...." Read more

"...Together, they’ve written an interesting, nonjudgmental discussion about “kids these days”...." Read more

"Very thought provoking ...." Read more

"...It challenges assumptions in an interesting and useful way!" Read more

Great Idea — Mother and Daughter Exchange Ideas on Millennial Young Adulthood (Review by Ryan Mease)
4 out of 5 stars
Great Idea — Mother and Daughter Exchange Ideas on Millennial Young Adulthood (Review by Ryan Mease)
The format of the book is excellent, with alternating chapters written by mother and daughter. This translates into a very conversational, engaging experience that keeps the reader engaged. The authors admit upfront that their data isn't professional, so I can't give this book five stars. That said, they do a good job making reasonable conclusions from their small body of reported data, and maintain a tone of modest authority that prevents the book from sounding overconfident. This is a good space to think about the twenties of millennials. It was a great read on my own; it would be an *excellent* choice to read with a parent or (twenty-something) child. -Ryan Mease
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Anjemali
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good explanation-no excuse
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book for myself to try to understand the wiring in my 21 year old daughters brain. I may have to consult a brain surgeon, but until then I choose this book. I have not finished it yet, however, it does give good insight. It explains what goes on generally and why. I believe it has good explanations, but I find it easy excuses to be lazy and scared of the world. But I like the authors approach and appreciate the research that went into it. I also like the fact that she includes the insite from her own 20 something daughter. It's nice to see the comparison and opinions from both points of view.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Sha
    4.0 out of 5 stars Twenty Something: Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck?
    Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    As the mother of a Millennial college student, I've become concerned for his future when I see his peers who have graduated, apparently not moving on in life. I got this book to see if there are reasons why. While some points made by the author seem plausible, basically after all was said and done, this generation is not very different from ours. What is nice about this book is that both view points are presented by a mother-daughter team - a Baby Boomer & a Millennial. A good read for parents of children of this generation.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Elizabeth
    5.0 out of 5 stars the perfect gift for your nervous Baby Boomer parents (and you, too)
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    As a 20-something, I wondered how much I could possibly learn from this book. I misjudged. Twentysomething gives context to the big life worries that keep me up at night. Am I far enough along in my personal life? In my career? How come in many ways I seem behind my parents, but in others I feel ahead? Reading this book, I found myself not worrying, but thinking -- and feeling more optimistic, too.

    PSA to other 20-somethings: This is a holiday present for worried Baby Boomer parents that will give right back to you, too. Not only will they lighten up a bit; they'll also have something substantive to say, and maybe remember that their own youths were not so simple, either.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • maureen perez
    4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful for Parents!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    is helpful to parents of young adults. It gave me some insight into my sons' relationship drama throughout the years.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Dusty
    3.0 out of 5 stars Great for parents and kids
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Review of Twentysomething
    Hot Toasty Rag, June 4, 2017

    The concept behind this book is really cool. Robin Marantz Henig belongs to the baby boomer generation, and her daughter Samantha is a millennial, aka a Twentysomething. Together, they’ve written an interesting, nonjudgmental discussion about “kids these days”.
    I am a twentysomething, and my mom is a baby boomer, and we both really enjoyed reading this book. We happen to have a very open stream of communication anyway, but I can imagine those who aren’t as close to their parent or child would get an extra benefit from this book. People who aren’t used to discussing both sides of the argument for or against twentysomethings will be inspired and provoked; I can’t even imagine how many parent/child discussions this book sparked when previously both parties involved believed they had nothing to talk about.

    This really is a fantastic book, for millennials and those who have parented millennials. For people in their thirties and forties, probably not so much, unless they happen to be dating someone younger and want to understand that generation better. For parents, Robin takes a gentle tone. She knows firsthand the journey, expectations, and disappointments of raising a twentysomething, and she doesn’t blame the parent for the child’s outcome. For children, Samantha tells it like it is. She explains how social media and technology has shaped us beyond belief, and why we look at sex, love, and marriage differently than the previous generation.

    Although it’s not a very long book, it’ll probably take you a while to get through it, since you’ll close the book after every chapter and engage in a lengthy discussion with everyone you can find about what you just read. I highly recommend it, for although it doesn’t actually fix anything, it can unite parents and children in a new way.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • David C. Stone
    4.0 out of 5 stars Food for thought.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Very thought provoking . Helps in our attempts to understand the behavior of "Twenty somethings" especially if the reader is not of that time frame.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mitch Berger
    5.0 out of 5 stars I don't even have children....
    Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    ... yet I found this book fascinating. This book is a must read for any baby boomer who has twenty-thirty something adult children - or even those who work with them. It challenges assumptions in an interesting and useful way!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Dadeo
    4.0 out of 5 stars All About the Kids
    Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    If you want to find out where your kids are, try this book.It does bring some insights we don't normally think about.
    One person found this helpful
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