Why Gen Xers--waiting for Boomers to retire--have made the choices they have, and how their creativity can save us from economic ruin. Generation X grew up in the greed-is-good 1980s, before the Great Middle-Class Squeeze and the roller coaster of economic insecurity and tech revolution began driving Xers' cultural trends, lifestyle choices, and sociological circumstances. And while some foresee a disastrous financial future for all but those at the very top of the pyramid, Slackonomics reveals how a generation forged in such destruction--with the creativity of apathetic slackers, damn-the-torpedoes daytraders, deficit-spending consumers, and permanent freelancers--can bring the economy back from the brink. One part Freakonomics , one part Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs , Lisa Chamberlain's debut is a must-read for anyone interested in our nation's future as the Boomers begin handing over the reins to the Xers.