Setting the Bar

Listen to Part of Chapter One.

Setting the Bar is available now!

Criticizing the newest generation is a tradition as old as time. But there is truly something worrisome about the trends we are seeing in today's kids. 

You’ve likely had this intuition yourself as you side-eye that family across the restaurant—kids and parents alike hunched over their individual devices. Or maybe you’ve bemoaned the decline of childhood hallmarks like pick-up games and biking across town—replaced by the allure of infinite entertainment and the growing expectation that parents manage every aspect of their kids’ lives. Or perhaps you’re a high-school teacher who has watched firsthand as students grow less comfortable socializing, less energized, less responsible, and less capable of setting out into the world, much less thriving in it. 

It sounds progressive to dismiss these concerns, equating them with the typical brand of back in my day rhetoric. But that forgoes the opportunity for course correction at a time when it is most critical. Kids these days, like the societies they grow up in, are increasingly unhealthy,  depressed, anxious, and plagued by a sense of meaninglessness. They are protected, entertained, and celebrated, but starved of something much more essential to their fulfillment. 

With his diverse perspective as a decade-long educator, a respected voice in fitness coaching, and a writer featured everywhere from Quillette to Spartan, Shane Trotter synthesizes the most timeless wisdom and the most timely research to craft a unique vision of how we can adapt to create a generation that has the tools to thrive in an era marked by unprecedented change. 

Blending philosophy, psychology and bold, honest storytelling, Trotter takes us on a journey to discover what has gone wrong and how we can turn the tide, both individually and collectively. Setting the Bar is an investigation into the human condition—who we are, what we need to flourish, and where we are going as a culture. This is a book for every concerned parent, teacher, or coach, and every conscientious citizen who cares about our kids and our future.