The definitive investigation into why –
across continents, classes, cultures and religions – we’re having fewer
children, by an award-winning journalist'Wise, compassionate and
non-judgmental' EMILY MAITLIS
'An
entertaining and meaningful read' CLAUDIA GOLDINIn Britain, one in five couples
have no children, and almost half of all families have only one. The
populations of China, Japan, Russia and Italy are shrinking. Pronatalists cry
that feminism has killed the family. Governments throw money at childcare.
Would-be grandparents wring their hands at the apparent selfishness of the
young. But the conversation is in the wrong place.Camilla Cavendish offers a
startling blend of data and stories to uncover what is really driving the baby
bust, meeting people with a diverse range of experiences, including millennial
women going it alone, men who've missed out and communities quietly bucking the
trend. Rather than the standard economic explanations, her interviews point to
a myriad of cultural influences: from a dating recession to a loss of faith in
the future; from the pressures of modern parenting to infertility struggles;
from the atomisation of society to a deeply human instinct to copy one another
that’s amplified by the smartphone.By examining the profound implications of a
world in which fewer children are born, Generation Maybe argues for a future in
which we respect the happily childfree while genuinely empowering those who
long for children. Incisive, frank, eye-opening and humane, this book is for
anyone who cares about the world we may – or may not – choose to make for the
next generation.
