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The provided text outlines the authors’ theory of generational and historical cycles, known as the saeculum, which typically spans around eighty to one hundred years and consists of four distinct Turnings: the High, the Awakening, the Unraveling, and the Crisis (or Fourth Turning). Each turning is approximately twenty years long, corresponding to a phase of life and fostering the development of a unique generational archetype (Prophet, Nomad, Hero, or Artist). The authors argue that history is seasonal and cyclical, warning that a severe Fourth Turning—a period of major discontinuity and societal crisis—was due to begin around 2005 and would fundamentally test the nation’s survival by 2025. They examine how past American history aligns with these cycles, using examples of generational characteristics and historical events to prepare readers for the coming upheaval.
