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Boomsday
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Boomsday
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Boomsday
Audiobook10 hours

Boomsday

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

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About this audiobook

Outraged over the mounting Social Security debt, Cassandra Devine, a charismatic 29-year-old blogger and member of Generation Whatever, incites massive cultural warfare when she politely suggests that Baby Boomers be given government incentives to kill themselves by age 75. Her modest proposal catches fire with millions of citizens, chief among them "an ambitious senator seeking the presidency." With the help of Washington's greatest spin doctor, the blogger and the politician try to ride the issue of euthanasia for Boomers (called "transitioning") all the way to the White House over the objections of the Religious Right, and of course, the Baby Boomers, who are deeply offended by demonstrations on the golf courses of their retirement
resorts.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 2, 2007
ISBN9781600240034
Unavailable
Boomsday
Author

Christopher Buckley

Christopher Buckley is a novelist, essayist, humorist, critic, magazine editor, and memoirist. His books include Thank You for Smoking, The Judge Hunter, Make Russia Great Again, and The Relic Master. He worked as a merchant seaman and White House speechwriter. He was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor and the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence.

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Reviews for Boomsday

Rating: 3.6442307115384613 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

416 ratings38 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I did not care much for this, mostly because of my dislike for the smug narrator who could not see the value of any generation beyond her own (apathetic) age group, dubbed "Generation Whatever." The author claims his famous father said, "This one didn't work for me" after reading this novel. I have to agree.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really enjoyed this satirical run through American politics. The characters are well drawn and plot moves at a good pace. I do agree with a previous reviewer though, that the ending seemed a little rushed. A good funny read though.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another recommendation from my wife. What a great book. This is the first book in a long, long time that I read in one sitting. Easy to read. Sharp. Sarcastic. Witty. Funny. Biting. Really excellent. I absolutely recommend this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Cassandra Devine, whose father spends her Yale tuition fees on his startup company, has a grudge against the millions of baby boomers who are raising her taxes and making the economy unworkable by living longer and longer. She manages to get the issue onto the US political agenda through her canny work as a spin doctor, and by dating a presidential hopeful. This synopsis doesn't BEGIN to describe the political manouevrings, campaigns, weird alliances and shenanigans that fill this book. On the one hand, it's a light-hearted political skit. On the other, it often bites horribly close to the bone. Nobody would base a political career on persuading baby-boomers to commit suicide at 75 - would they?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite being a fairly educated literary person, I didn't know much about Christopher Buckley before picking up this book. The cover attracted me and the blurb made it sound like a good read. It turns out, it was quite the find. For 80% of the book, I was captivated and intrigued with where the story was heading. There were enough twists and turns to keep me curious. It was laugh out loud funny in parts, an aspect I only find in the best of books. It's intelligent, political, and filled with sarcasm. Again, all wonderful. But, why did Buckley rush the ending? He builds this great story, then apparently gets bored and dashes off an ending that features the last chapter being a summary of what happened. It's a shame he didn't spend more time with the latter parts of the book. Overall, however, this is a great book that is definitely worth reading. I look forward to having a new author to read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Author Christopher Buckley is perhaps best known as the son of the late conservative thinker William F. Buckley, Jr. As a writer, though, Buckley has made a name for himself for biting satire, most famously in his novel "Thank You for Smoking."Buckley continues this trend with a farcical consideration of a youth rebellion against Social Security in "Boomsday." Cassandra Devine, who works as a Washington political consultant, gains national fame for her blog which advocates the dramatic overhaul of the giant under-funded entitlement program. Young people start staging protests against retirees -- the book opens with reports of young people storming the gates of a retirement community and wreaking havoc on a golf course -- inspired by her.The book is an enjoyable romp, satirizing Washington politics (especially politicians and paid consultants), the media, and those that try to gain influence with both. Although the book begins with a focus on Social Security, the focus becomes more diluted as the book progresses and incorporates other issues; this is most likely a conscious -- and serious -- reflection of how reform efforts of all types are typically diluted and deconstructed by the federal government.The "Boomsday" issue -- referring to the time when the Baby Boomers start collecting Social Security -- becomes an issue in the looming presidential race, attracting various types of attention from those running, including the incumbent president, the senator with enough money to self-finance his campaign, and the well-known preacher who's testing the waters.Occasionally the story drags a little bit, though it is hard to imagine how Buckley could keep up the satire of the book's central outlandish proposition -- a national debate over a plan to give financial incentives to people age 75 and older who voluntarily kill themselves in order to maintain the solvency of Social Security. But Buckley's style is entertaining throughout, filled with wit and sometimes scathing observations of a system that really seems broken.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Hilarious and well written book from the man who brought you "Thank you for smoking". It seems especially pertinent now considering the issues which are becoming so important in the election. I would definitely recommend the book, it makes you think about what you would do in a similar situation.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    So far so good -- Buckley is funny, as usual, although he does some times lay it on a bit thick. Not as good as "Thank You For Smoking," but still pretty funny. (And it focuses on one of my favorite soap box issues, so it gets points for that.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Light-hearted and amusing, but based in "real" facts. A modern-day "Modest Proposal".
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fantastic and timely! If you liked Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, you would like this.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a novel about the conflicting interests of the W-Gen's (whatever generation) versus the baby boomers. It describes the obvious simple solution to the looming Social Security financial crisis. The book is intended to be funny, and I'll admit I was grinning all the way through it. But I wonder, should I be laughing about America accepting awful solutions by glossing over their actual reality? Is there a serious underlying message to this story? Read in January, 2007
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was entertaining, a punchy read that brought up a major issue that society ignores -- the fact that there are lots of us young people, and we're never heard or represented in government. Also, I can't help but think that this book would make a good movie. Overall, it wasn't the greatest thing I've ever read, but it was pretty decent, worth reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Buckley wrote one hilarious satire in this book. I laughed out loud almost everytime I read some of the wild story. The story becomes absurd but then when I thought about the current administration it actually seemed almost believable!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good satire, but occasionally a bit absurdist.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    There are some solid laugh out moments in this book - particularly in the beginning. However, midway through the book I really stopped caring about any of the characters as they became too self-absorbed for my taste. They started to redeem themselves towards the end, but then the book came to a very swift end. All in all it was enjoyable and a quick read, I just think it could have been a bit better.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Concept was fastinating - and the trail he created to make it plausible was ingenious. But he flopped in charaterization.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another hilarious release-- just the right mix of slap-stick and high-brow comedy -- from Chistopher Buckley. Although the idea of senior citizens commiting suicide as a plan to save Social Security for future generations is a little "out there," Buckley did a great job of keeping the storyline and dialogue tight so that it did not end up a farse. I always keep my eyes open for new Buckley releases, and this one did not disappoint by makeing me laugh out loud many times.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An amusing satire about a young PR specialist who takes on the system that has her Generation "Whatever" burdened with a failing economy, high public debt, & high taxes to support the bloated lifestyles of "boomers." Peopled by a colorful cast of caricatures (rather than realistic characters), it hits the mark more often than not.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Listen, is everybody here reading Christopher Buckley? Seriously folks, you need to pick up a book. I know it's political satire. And a book about Social Security reform doesn't sound like it has a lot of potential. But trust me, this is laugh-out-loud funny stuff. Who else could invent a pro-life organization called the Society for the Protection of Every Ribonucleic Molecule--or SPERM for short. Even his little throw-aways are fabulous. The protagonist is briefly incarcerated. In prison, there are so many jailed journalists refusing to name sources (from the Society Page, for example) that they have their own gang: Pulitzer Nation. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Cassandra Devine is a 29-year-old on a crusade. She feels passionately that her generation should not be bankrupted paying for the retirement benefits of baby boomers. With the government apparently unwilling to propose a workable solution she decides to bring this front and center in American politics as a "meta-issue." With her PR background and her senatorial mouthpiece she can make it happen. Suddenly "voluntary transitionsing," (legalized suicide at the age of 70 for tax breaks and other benefits) is all anyone can talk about. It goes from being a tool for dialogue to being seriously considered by voters. Buckley has an amazing eye for skewering our culture. The reason he's so funny is that everything he observes is so painfully true! Fans of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report will surely enjoy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great political book about a Presidential race and the dilemma of a soon-to-be-bankrupt social security system. Voluntary transitioning. Good stuff!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When does satire become sheer silliness?Buckley begins with a provocative and timely issue -- the Social Security crisis. He serves up a "solution" with a Jonathan Swift flair. His characters are humorous, but they start to wear on you after a while. I have to agree 100 percent with those LTers who suggest this book would make a better sitcom or movie than it does a novel. There's just not enough punch in the second half to keep folks motivated to stick with the yarn. Trim a third of the text, edit out some wacky and totally unneeded twists, and Buckley may have had another winner.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book will make a good movie just like Thank You for Smoking did. But as a novel, it was hard to stay engaged.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After reading Thank You For Smoking, I figured I'd bump up the new Buckley book towards the top of my reading list. I didn't regret it; in fact, I tore through the book in a matter of a few days. Still, I don't think it was quite as good.This story centers around Cassandra Devine, a PR firm VP and Social Security activist blogger, who advocates that baby boomers should be given incentives to kill themselves at age 70 (special bonus if you do it at 65!), in order to make the nation solvent again. The idea gets taken up by a senator, and her boss at the PR firm, and it's what drives the story, for the most part. There are a bunch of other characters floating around as well, such as a right-to-life preacher and Cass's dad, a multi-billionaire software engineer, that fill out the story.The plotline is pretty imaginative and fun, and the dialogue is sharp and witty. The interplay between characters of different viewpoints makes for a fairly realistic view, which is essential to the satire. And it is funny; I did still find myself laughing several times over the course of the book, and that's no small feat.The flaws I found, though, were that the plot felt like it dragged, particularly towards the end, when the presidential campaign is playing out. It also came to feel like it was hard to tell how much time was going by. Also, the characters felt somewhat stagnant, and particularly the relationships between them felt like they didn't change sufficiently for the actions that had gone on. There were points where that aspect felt almost sitcom-esque, even if I did like the characters themselves.Still, this book was a lot of fun, and a good satire; I wouldn't start reading Buckley from here, but I wouldn't have much of a problem recommending it at all.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Cassandra Cohane's proposal that the Baby-Boom generation kill themselves in order to shore up Social Security generates a storm of controversy among pro-lifers, nearly topples a presidential administration, and launches the campaign of an ambitious Senator. With dry humor and an eye towards the absurd, Buckley addresses pressing political issues with a ridiculous touch that delights the readers. Cohane's non-stop blogging habits and constant spin are reminiscent of the modern tabloid world in which readers find themselves. From the inept president to the militant pro-life camp, Buckley reflects the political state of 2000 to today. Disenchanted 20's and 30's readers will appreciate the frank depiction of the slacking Boomer generation, as well as possibility of future revolts against an inept and unchanging political structure. For all readers, especially those who love politics and current events.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Thoroughly enjoyable. A story about the social security crisis in America, and one woman's novel approach to solving it. Woven into the story is a tale of politics, personal greed, corruption and the indignation of the younger generation - the one that gets stiffed with the bill when the boomers pull a runner. Highly recommended - I could not put this book down.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Good, but too long and wordy.June 2007
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Cass Devine is the anti-heroine of generation whatever. This book chronicles the aftermath of her blog post suggesting that boomers could commit suicide "voluntarily transition" in order to save the social security system and make it financially solvent. The story balances itself out, leaning towards an absurd concept, but making it seem realistic and likely. The secondary characters are a loveable menagerie of engaging swamp hillbillies, billionaires and Washington Spin Doctors. Read this book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Thank You for Smoking" was the first book of Buckley's that I read. While it wasn't a 5-star - it was laugh out loud funny in parts and right on the money in others. (The part with the nicotine patches had me in tears.) But this one - while constructed on a VERY novel and potentially funny way to deal with the Social Security crisis was nowhere near the caliber of TYFS. (Speaking of which - some of the acronyms he made up for the ridiculous groups and agencies were pretty good but after a while....zzzzzz.)Plus - every single character turned out to be a dud - not one of them was either pure satirical evil or Stepford Wife angelic - just a rather dull dishwater grey. I will buy Buckley's next book - but probably not with the same sense of glee that I bought this one.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The son of a closeted CIA operative, William F Buckley, Christopher reveals the deep Buckley family envy of the Kennedys and all they stood for.
    Jabs about Chappaquiddick and bastardization of JFK quotes are about as deep as this man can get.
    C.B’ s message, “Better to be a snarky castrato on the sidelines than to try to affect real change.”
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    oh what a ridiculous pile of crap do not read!