Willetts is always an interesting politician thoughtful rather than ideological, and exhibiting a fascination with the detail of demographics that is both impressive and slightly exhausting. In 2010 david willetts published the pinch, the first book to warn that younger generations in britain were losing out to the baby boomers. But with this book, willetts, a frontline conservative politician, has. The pinch david willetts or j m keynes the economic consequences of a declining population we know much more securely than we know almost any other social or economic factor relating to the future that, in the place of the steady and indeed steeply rising level of population which we have experienced. How the baby boomers took the money and ran the pinch by david willetts atlantic books. Aug 12, 2010 david willetts is clearly a very clever chap, and i learned a heck of a lot about the sociology and history of britain from this book. The postwar baby boom of 194565 produced the biggest and richest generation in british history.
David willetts on thatcher, brexit and the generational divide. For each section of the book there are further extensive acknowledgements of advice received, information provided, contacts, readers and comment. Social, cultural, and economic provision has been made for the reigning section of society, whilst the needs of the next generation have taken a back seat. David willetts is a visiting professor at the policy institute, kings college london, and president of the resolution foundation. May 01, 2011 in this original and provocative book, david willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has attained this position at the expense of their children. May 05, 2010 the best political book published recently in the englishspeaking world has one of the worst titles. Lord david willetts is a conservative party politician, life peer, and academic and is currently executive chair of the resolution foundation. In it, david willetts attempts to prove that the baby boomers are responsible for every ill that has beset the generations who came after us boomers, without mentioning the hugely inconvenient fact that the younger generations greatest setback was the inability to find decent, affordable and. How the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back main by david willetts isbn. Lord david willetts frs is the executive chair of the resolution foundation. Adam kamenetzky helped research the history of british science policy which had been the subject of david willetts inaugural lecture as a visiting professor at kings college, london. We all know the story, starts david willetts in his book the pinch. Subtitled how the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back, the book helped frame the debate about intergenerational inequality in britain. A university education hardcover david willetts oxford.
He is also an honorary fellow of nuffield college, oxford. He has also recently published a university education, which came out in november 2017. The pinch david willetts says its the baby boomers who are. How the baby boomers stole their childrens future by david willetts. He served as mp for havant and was the minister for universities and science from 2010 to 2014. Todays young people will pay heavier taxes, work longer hours for less money and live in a vastly degraded environment in order to pay for their parents quality of life. He served as the member of parliament for havant 19922015, as minister for universities and science 20102014 and previously worked at hm treasury and the no. David linsay willetts, baron willetts, pc, frs, honfrsc, facss born 9 march 1956 is a british conservative party politician, life peer, and academic.
In this original and provocative book, david willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has attained this position at the expense of their children. He was elected conservative mp for havant in hampshire on 9 april 1992. How the baby boomers stole their childrens future by. As an introduction to that article, i quoted the description of david willetts book the pinch. In the second edition of his book, the pinch, willetts uses new research to warn that young millennials are on course to pay more and receive less from the. Looks back at how the university has attained its crucial role in the modern world and forwards to the challenges facing higher education in the future. The pinch by david willetts overdrive rakuten overdrive. Feb 15, 2010 the pinch how babyboomers took their childrens future, and why they should give it back by david willetts. David willetts has written widely on economic and social policy.
David willetts is clearly a very clever chap, and i learned a heck of a lot about the sociology and history of britain from this book. This provocative and thoughtprovoking book argues that the baby boomer generation have thrived at the expense of their children. Nov 27, 2018 david willetts has written widely on economic and social policy. How the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back by david willetts 20110501 on. Last night i went to see david willetts speak about his book the pinch and the ideas behind it, courtesy of policy exchange. By this point, american baby boomers have so endlessly and insufferably navelgazed that its almost impossible to force yourself to read further once you reach. How the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back. How the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back atlantic books, 2010 is based on the concept that we are not attaching sufficient value to the claims of future generations. His book the pinch, which focused on intergenerational equity, was published in 2010, and he recently published a university education. He served as the minister of state for universities and science from 20102014 and was the member of parliament for havant from 19922015. Social, cultural and economic provision has been made for the reigning section of society, whilst the needs of the next generation have taken a back seat.
Lord willetts book the pinch how the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back is available. Nov 05, 2019 in 2010 david willetts published the pinch, the first book to warn that younger generations in britain were losing out to the baby boomers. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. How the baby boomers took their childrens futureand why they should give it back. This provocative and thoughtprovoking book argues that the baby boomer generation have thrived.
How the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back atlantic books, 2010 is. Many in the higher education world will know david willetts best for his time as minister for universities and science. The pinch is sold as an examination of how the baby boomers managed to grab the best of everything money, sex, houses, guiltfree carbon consumption, jobs and whether they can be persuaded, or compelled, to hand back some of those resources. So, it is timely that the granddaddy of the genre lord david willetts has seen the second edition of his book the pinch launched on to the bookshelves. The best political book published recently in the englishspeaking world has one of the worst titles. From 1992 to 2015, he was the member of parliament mp representing the constituency of havant in hampshire. The pinch how babyboomers took their childrens future, and why they should give it back by david willetts. Im part of the enemy cited by willetts as the source of a lot of the financial ills present and upcoming, though i am not yet part of the. David willetts discusses how these boomers have attained this position at the expense of younger. The pinch how babyboomers took their childrens future. In general, this is a remarkably nonpolitical book. How the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back by david willetts author, in very good condition.
How the baby boomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back kindle edition by david willetts. This provocative and thoughtprovoking book argues that the baby boomer g. More about what david willets got wrong in his book the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Lord willetts accused of pitching young against old in book. Todays young people will pay heavier taxes, work longer hours for less money and live in a vastly degraded environment in order to pay for their parents quality of. How the baby boomers took their childrens future and. The baby boom of 194565 produced the biggest, richest generation that britain has ever known. David willetts is executive chairman of the resolution foundation and a visiting professor at kings college london. In a university education, david willetts presents a compelling case for the ongoing importance of the university, both as one of the great institutions of modern society and as a transformational experience for the individual. Richard reeves assesses david willettss account of the generation that.
David willetts was appointed minister for universities and science in may 2010. Ten years on, lord willetts has revised and updated the. He has also recently published a university education, which came out. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the pinch. But its real theme is instead identified by its subtitle. As part of margaret thatchers downing street team, and as director of the centre for policy studies capxs parent organisation, he stoked the intellectual furnace of thatcherism. In this fascinating and provocative book, david willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has amassed unprecedented wealth and. For almost 40 years, david willetts has been at the heart of british politics and policymaking. Jan 23, 2020 the postwar baby boom of 194565 produced the biggest and richest generation in british history.
How the babyboomers took their childrens future and. A powerful defence of the value of higher education in the world today from former minister for universities and science, david willetts. It is an unjustified attack on the babyboom cohort as a whole, leading to wrong conclusions about how we arrived at the current state and what the lessons are. If this book had been advertised as a description of the importance of intergenerational cooperation, accompanied by useful social statistics, i would have given it more stars. A second edition of his influential book on the boomers and the young generation, the pinch, is published in november. From 1992 to 2015, he was the mp for havant, becoming minister of state for universities and science from 2010 until 2014. David willetts is not just a socioeconomic researcher. Jun 22, 2017 for almost 40 years, david willetts has been at the heart of british politics and policymaking.
Conservative party politician and peer david willetts published the pinch in 2010. Looks back at how the university has attained its crucial role in the modern world and forwards to the challenges facing higher education in. The pinch how babyboomers took their childrens future, and. How the babyboomers took their childrens future and why they should give it back. Lord willetts has written widely on economic and social policy. David willetts discusses how these boomers have attained this position at the expense of younger generations. The book also makes illuminating comparisons with higher education in other countries, especially the us and germany. In this fascinating and provocative book, david willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has amassed unprecedented wealth and power at the expense of its children.