How does one define the Nineties?  Chronologically, the Nineties started January 1, 1990 and ended on New Year’s Eve 1999.  Culturally, it can be argued that the decade began on November 9, 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and ended on a Tuesday September morning when the Twin Towers did the same.  Regardless of how you define it, Chuck Klosterman’s book takes a look back at the last decade of the 20th century, the decade that formed the background of Generation X.

Klosterman digs deep into the figures and events of the day, both the obvious and the less so.  From Singles, the prototypical Gen X movie (at least if you’re white) to the hullabaloo surrounding 2 Live Crew and Ice T’s controversial release Cop Killer.  The fast political rise and just-as-quick fall of Ross Perot and the Teflon-like nature of Bill Clinton.  The country’s brief obsession with clear drinks, like Crystal Pepsi and Zima.  Michael Jordan’s baseball career.  O.J. Simpson and the white Ford Bronco.  Dolly the cloned sheep.  And how the fallout from the election in 2000 has led to the political polarization we see today.