Triumph of the Yuppies

America, the Eighties, and the Creation of an Unequal Nation

By: Tom McGrath

Narrated by: Stacy Carolan

The “entertaining and insightful” first history of the Yuppie phenomenon, chronicling the roots, rise, triumph and (seeming) fall of the young urban professionals who radically altered American life between 1980 and 1987 (New York Times bestselling author Ben Mezrich).

By the time their obituary was being written in the late 1980s, Yuppies—the elite, uber‑educated faction of the Baby Boom generation—had become a cultural punchline. But amidst the Yuppies' preoccupation with money, work, and the latest status symbols, something serious was happening, too, something that continues to have profound ramifications on American culture four decades later.
Brimming with lively and nostalgic details (think Jane Fonda, The Sharper Image, and over-the-top fashion), Triumph of the Yuppies charts Boomers' transformation from hippy idealists in the late 1960s to careerists in the early 1980s, and details how marketers, the media, and politicians pivoted to appeal to this influential new group. Yuppie values had an undeniable impact on the worlds of fashion, food, and fitness, as well as affecting the broader culture—from gentrification and an obsession with career success to an indulgent materialism. Most significantly, the me‑first mindset typical of Yuppieness helped create the largest income inequality in a century.
Tom McGrath’s masterful cultural history reveals how Yuppies reshaped American society. It is a portrait of America just as it was beginning to come apart—and the origin story of the fractured country we live in today.

Critic reviews

"A wonderful read! Equal parts entertaining and insightful, McGrath charts the rise and fall of the Yuppies with a cast of larger-than-life characters. You’ll come for the nostalgic trip through the eighties—and stay for the sharp social commentary that underscores how Yuppies created the world we live in today."—New York Times bestselling author Ben Mezrich

“In Triumph of the Yuppies, Tom McGrath brings us right down memory lane in a highly readable, highly enjoyable way. For readers born into the Yuppie generation, or who are just curious what it was all about and why it matters, this is the book for you!"—New York Times bestselling author William Cohan

“If you want to understand why the economic disparity, polarized politics, and rampant excesses of the Reagan eighties still haunt these Divided States of America, Triumph of the Yuppies is a Rosetta Stone. Make room on your bookshelf for Tom McGrath’s ideal companion volume to Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities, Steve Gillon’s Boomer Nation, David Brooks’ Bobos in Paradise, and Susan Faludi’s Backlash.”

—David Friend, author of The Naughty Nineties

"If Sharper Image stores were still around, they could offer their coolest gadget ever: a time machine that looks like a book. Tom McGrath smoothly transports us back to the neon-lit moment of sushi, suspenders, and junk bonds that fascinatingly illuminates the darker economy we live with today."—Benjamin Wallace, author of the New York Times bestseller The Billionaire's Vinegar

Superficial social analysis of baby boomers

This is a very disappointing chronology of the 1980’s and the “yuppie” phenomenon. This is mostly a NYC centered description of how baby boomers evolved into high end consumers - the narrative is anecdotal and relies on tired stereotypes.