Meet the eight generations: a free email course

Alastair Greener's book counts eight generations alive today, from the Greatest Generation, born before 1928, to Generation Beta, born from 2025. This free course introduces them one at a time, in eight short emails over two weeks. The first arrives as soon as you sign up.

Start the free course

What arrives

One email every other day, one for each generation, in order of age:

The Greatest Generation
The Silent Generation
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Millennials
Generation Z
Generation Alpha
Generation Beta

Each takes a few minutes to read. It says when that generation was born and what shaped it, gives the figures from Alastair's research where there are any, and ends with one thing to try with a real person. Each one links to a guide on this site and, where there is one, a podcast episode to listen to.

Every generation learned to communicate on the tools that happened to be on the table when they arrived. Illustrative film

Patterns to look for

The course deals in patterns. Alastair's line is that we are framed by our generation, not defined by it, so each email ends with something to try with someone from that generation.

The emails draw on his book, Generationally Speaking, the generation guides on this site and Communication Habits and Preferences 2024, a UK survey of 4,067 people.

Who it is for

Anyone curious about the people around them, at work or at home. If it leaves you wanting more, the other courses go further.

About Alastair

Alastair Greener FPSA is President of the Professional Speaking Association UK and Ireland for 2026 and the author of Generationally Speaking: How to bridge the generation gap and communicate with confidence (Right Book Press, 2025), a Business Book Awards 2026 finalist. Since January 2025 he has hosted the Generationally Speaking podcast, with guests aged from 15 to 90.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes. Sign up and you will get the eight emails. Nothing else will be sent unless you ask for it.

When will the first email arrive?

Straight away, usually within a minute. The other seven follow every two days, so the course takes two weeks.

Can I stop the emails?

Yes, at any time. Every email has an unsubscribe link at the foot, and using it stops the rest straight away.

What happens to my details?

They are kept only while the course runs, so that each email goes out on time, and deleted after the last one or as soon as you unsubscribe. The privacy policy has the detail.