Steven Joseph Long’s Compliments of Pet Milk: A Boomer’s Odyssey Across the Millennium Divide is a sprawling memoir that is both deeply personal and historically reflective. Long, a self-described “human dinosaur,” recounts his life growing up in post-war America, navigating family, education, love, loss, and an evolving world that has seemingly left his generation behind. Through anecdotes and reflections, he documents his journey from a curious child enamored with dinosaurs to a seasoned historian, teacher, and observer of a society that has shifted in ways he both admires and critiques.

One of the book’s strongest elements is its introspection. Long doesn’t just recount his life events; he interrogates them. The introduction alone sets the tone with a striking metaphor comparing his generation to dinosaurs, relics of a different age, facing extinction. The scene where he first encounters a book about dinosaurs in a library as a young boy is incredibly poignant. His realization that there existed an entire world before him, unfathomably ancient and unmentioned by the adults around him serves as an awakening, an entry point to his lifelong passion for learning. This kind of raw curiosity and wonder resonated with me.

Long delivers his critiques of younger generations with unfiltered honesty and a sharp wit, playfully bemoaning their dwindling curiosity, reliance on technology, and ever-shrinking attention spans. And while his observations hit close to home, they’re delivered with a flair that makes them as entertaining as they are thought-provoking. His claim that “most of them have never been inside a physical library, can’t write in cursive, and seem to have the attention span of a rock” is less a bitter complaint and more the exasperated musings of someone watching the world change at lightning speed.

What makes this memoir shine, however, is its emotional depth. Long shares intensely personal stories, such as the loss of his second wife, Linda, and the bittersweet evolution of his relationships over time. His descriptions of fatherhood, especially the anxieties and triumphs of raising a child while navigating his own uncertainties, feel incredibly real and heartfelt. The chapter where he describes playing in a band with his son is especially touching, it’s a moment of connection that transcends generational differences and shows that, despite his frustrations with modern times, love and human connection remain timeless.

Compliments of Pet Milk: A Boomer’s Odyssey Across the Millennium Divide is a fascinating, if at times meandering, reflection on life, history, and change. It’s a book best suited for those who enjoy memoirs with a strong historical consciousness, especially readers who themselves have lived through the cultural shifts Long describes. While younger readers might bristle at some of his more critical takes, there is still plenty of wisdom and humor to be found within these pages. If you’re a Baby Boomer looking to reminisce, a Gen Xer who enjoys reflecting on the past, or even a Millennial or Gen Z reader with a curiosity for how the world once was, this book is worth your time.

Pages: 572 | ASIN : B0DRHSRNFB