Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife

Description

A dynamic and inspiring exploration of the new science that is redrawing the future for people in their forties, fifties, and sixties for the better-and for good. There's no such thing as an inevitable midlife crisis, Barbara Bradley Hagerty writes in this provocative, hopeful book. It's a myth, an illusion. New scientific research explodes the fable that midlife is a time when things start to go downhill for everybody. In fact, midlife can be a great new adventure, when you can embrace fresh possibilities, purposes, and pleasures. In Life Reimagined, Hagerty explains that midlife is about renewal- It's the time to renegotiate your purpose, refocus your relationships, and transform the way you think about the world and yourself. Drawing from emerging information in neurology, psychology, biology, genetics, and sociology-as well as her own story of midlife transformation-Hagerty redraws the map for people in midlife and plots a new course forward in understanding our health, our relationships, even our futures. From the Hardcover edition.

Barbara Bradley Hagertyis the author oftheNew York Times-bestsellingFingerprints of God is also an award-winning journalist who spent nearly 20 years as a correspondent for NPR. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Vogue, and The Christian Science Monitor. She has received the Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship in Science and Religion, and a Knight Fellowship at Yale Law School. She lives with her husband in Washington, D.C. From the Hardcover edition.

"Life Reimagined paints a portrait of middle age that is far from grim and decelerating. Midlife begins to seem like the second big phase of decision-making. Your identity has been formed; you know who you are; you've built up your resources; and now you have the chance to take the big risks precisely because your foundation is already secure."-David Brooks, The New York Times "Life Reimagined gave me hope that midlife, even with its struggles, can be a time of growth and deeper joy in relationships old and new."-BookPage "Bradley Hagerty crafts a book that is part insightful analysis, part memoir, and all-around engaging and relatable... [her] own journey is by turns instructive, poignant, and funny as she puts the information she's discovering into practice... [she] makes a compelling case that our choices-to seek novel experiences, to stay active, to invest in enriching relationships-can transform the middle years into vibrant ones, and also help us move forward into old age with a greater sense of possibility and purpose."-Washington Independent Review of Books "Bradley uses the perfect mixture of anecdote and facts and knows how to tell a story. Inspiring and reassuring, this book is guaranteed to shake up anyone who is coasting through middle age, reminding them that it's up to them to find their essence and shape their last years with purpose."-Booklist "Insightful...This work is a joyous reminder that the middle years can be satisfying, resilient, and significant."-Library Journal "An upbeat look at the joys of middle age... For midlifers eager to 'create a new habit of mind,' Hagerty is a rousing cheerleader."-Kirkus Reviews "Barbara Bradley Hagerty is a wise and engaging guide through the possibilities (and occasional pitfalls) of middle age. With her deft storytelling skills and exhaustive research, she reveals a truth that should hearten millions of people: Done right, midlife can be a time of remarkable engagement, purpose, and love."-Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell Is Human and Drive "Please don't have a midlife crisis. But if you do (and you will), drop everything and read this book. It's like having coffee with a good friend who has been there-and also happens to be well versed in neuroscience, psychology and much more. Barbara Bradley Hagerty has written a sharp-eyed, big-hearted book destined for widespread dog-earing and underlining. Whether it's navigating the worlds of marriage or friendship or work, Life Reimagined offers boatloads of earned epiphanies. This generous, wise and often funny book will leave you revitalized-and actually looking forward to life's second act." -Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss and The Geography of Genius "This book is destined to become the bible for boomers seeking to make the most of the bonus decades opening up in midlife and beyond, as well as for those younger generations on their heels."-Marc Freedman, author, The Big Shift, and CEO, Encore.org "Combining her great reportorial skills with personal stories and fascinating data, Barbara Bradley Hagerty provides here a blueprint on aging. She debunks the idea of midlife crises while recognizing midlife changes and then, through interviews with experts and individuals, points the way to move forward into life's next phases. This book is so engagingly told, I've been telling my friends to get this book as soon as they can." -Cokie Roberts, journalist and author of We Are Our Mothers' Daughters "Life Reimagined is a powerful and inspiring book. Hagerty writes with wit, warmth, and scientific rigor. She shares her own experiences of the journey into midlife with honesty and humor and teaches us what science says about our brains, our resilience, and our relationships. Life Reimagined motivates us to delve into midlife with enthusiasm and reminds us that a life well lived requires thought and commitment-no matter what one's age."-Karen Reivich, Ph.D., author of The Resilience Factor "Grab this book, find a comfortable chair, and get ready to change the way you think about your life. Barbara Bradley Hagerty blends the latest science with rich personal reflections to create a work that informs, uplifts, and ultimately offers a wise guide to what keeps people happy and healthy. Beautifully crafted by a journalist at the top of her game, this is an exciting book that you'll find yourself talking about and sharing with the important people in your world."-Robert J. Waldinger, M.D., director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development "Life Reimagined is arguably the best book on middle life ever written. Not only is it in beautiful prose, but it's also thoroughly researched. In order to feel understood and to anticipate the future, everybody from 30 to 70 should read this book. It is a joy."-George E. Vaillant, M.D., former director of Harvard Study of Adult Development and author of Triumphs of Experience