Brimming with lively and nostalgic details, award-winning journalist and author Tom McGrath’s new book Triumph of the Yuppies: America, the Eighties, and the Creation of an Unequal Nation 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.

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 their preoccupation with money, work, and the latest status symbols, came a serious redefinition of American culture that continues to have profound ramifications decades later.

McGrath was the editor-in-chief of Philadelphia magazine, as well as chief content officer of Metro Corp., the parent company of Philadelphia and Boston between 2010 and 2020. Under his leadership, the magazines won more than fifty awards for editorial excellence. He is also the author of the newsletter Common Ground, which explores issues related to politics, culture, and the economy.

McGrath will be in conversation with Rachel Slade, the former executive editor of Boston magazine. She is the author of two books: the award-winning Into the Raging Sea, about the sinking of the container ship El Faro; and 2024’s Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the USA (and How It Got That Way). Slade’s editing and writing have won national awards in civic journalism, reporting, reader service, and criticism. She was awarded a MacDowell Fellowship for the fall of 2024.

BONUS AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Attendees who purchase a copy of Triumph of the Yuppies from FAN’s partner bookseller The Book Stall are invited to attend an AFTER-HOURS event hosted by McGrath and Slade that will start immediately after the webinar. Details on the webinar registration page.

This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.