#and Opportunity of Midlife: Barbara Bradley Hagerty: 9781594631702: Amazon.com: Books

[loud-snoring-os]

4.0 out of 5 stars Good advice for those in midlife (and intelligent and well-off)

2.0 out of 5 stars How more tone deaf can this book get? ARGHGH I wanted to really like this book, and I did at first. The emphasis on attitude, purpose and not being on autopilot really resonates. But as I read it, I got more and more irritated. It seems like there might be some flaws in the studies that show people are MORE satisfied and happier with their lives after their 40s and into their 50s. Who are these people in these studies? Let me guess. Self selected affluent college educated people with lots of time and money on their hands who would find it interesting and entertaining to participate in studies about their mental and emotional health. I'm guessing that people raising challenged kids, financially supporting ailing parents, working multiple jobs and dealing with physically or mentally ill spouses while their own health is slowly deteriorating don't get called on often to discuss their lives. And that sentence describes almost everyone my age that I know, but not anyone used as an example in the book. The examples given by the author of her life and the lives of her friends and family are particularly grating. These people make 6-7 figures, have enough money, existing professional success and time to change jobs, follow their bliss, work for charities, participate in athletics, go on RV trips.The Meaning of Work chapter especially made me want to throw the book across the room. (But I didn't because it's a library book, sorry Amazon). The book ends with a discussion of the 'bravery' of people making mid life career changes and has the particularly egregious example of a Philip Morris lawyer who spent her career working in Hong Kong and Switzerland defending tobacco and then after literally getting injured WHEN HER HAMMOCK BREAKS, bravely decides to change careers.Read more › Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars A solid (and enjoyable!) resource for those in midlife, as well as for those approaching it. Just turning 42 this weekend puts me on the junior edge of the midlife audience this book aims for, but it nonetheless applies quite strongly to me. I'm familiar with a lot of the research and researchers Barbara draws on in this book, and she translates their work masterfully. This book takes research from psychology, neurobiology, and other fields, wonderfully weaving in her personal stories of growth through midlife, and applies it to the period of adulthood that has had very little written about it. She does justice to the research that she cites, unlike a lot of books which try to translate psychological science into popular press. Not only did I take notes on the tips from the research and jot down researchers names for my own investigation later, but to my surprise her personal stories often brought me to tears.I listened to the audiobook version which I highly recommend if you are at all familiar with Barbara's voice from her years at NPR. I felt as if she was sitting with me, like an old friend (her voice so familiar from NPR), telling me personally of her struggles through challenging times with the emotion and depth that only the author herself can. (And an experienced radio voice, at that!) It was clear to me in listening that she was feeling the emotions of the story as she narrated it, which significantly contributed to my enjoyment of listening and identifying with her deep questions.I felt along with you, Barbara. Thank you for your exhaustive research on this book, for your skill in writing it, and for your candid, emotional accounts of your own struggles in this time of life. This resonated deeply with me and, as it is so full of solid, useful information, I can imagine myself coming back to this book as I move deeper into my own midlife. Go to Amazon