McCandless was twelve years older than me. My generation was around for the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union, but I think I was too young to understand the significance of either. My generation saw world events like the impeachment of a president over a blow job. I read Generation X in college, and I agree McCandless would fit in perfectly. I'll have to go back and re-read it. My generation had its share of burnouts but not in a GenX sort of way. Our burnouts smoked pot or because alcoholics and worked dead end jobs, walking away from society only metaphorically. I completely agree with your assessment of Krakauer and the idea that McCandless's ignorance was somehow more noble. It isn't just that a book about a well prepared person spending for months in the woods wouldn't be as compelling, I think Krakauer would be almost disappointed.