Life Reimagined

December 15, 2015
An upbeat look at the joys of middle age. Now in her 50s, journalist Hagerty (Fingerprints of God: What Science Is Learning About the Brain and Spiritual Experience, 2010), a former NPR correspondent on law and religion, debunks the idea of midlife crisis, "defined as an existential fear about impending death and lost opportunities." From interviews with an astonishing number of middle-aged men and women and the psychologists, sociologists, physicians, geneticists, and neuroscientists who study them, Hagerty has found positive responses to her own urgent question: "how does one thrive at midlife?" The experience of middle age, she has discovered, "is more mountaintop than valley," characterized not by depression but by optimism and renewal, happiness and growth. Organized chronologically, Hagerty's investigation tackles a new theme for each month, including friendship, love, work, illness, sense of purpose, and, not surprisingly, memory loss. She focuses on fear of dementia, delving into scientific research and submitting to a number of brain exercises and tests; in the end, she is persuaded that even those "biologically destined to have the physical plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease" will not necessarily show signs of the debility; furthermore, she believes, stimulating the mind "can build up neural defenses." This stimulation can take the form of engaging in a challenging new activity, such as digital photography, learning a language, or quilting. A brain, some researchers insist, "can learn new skills, sharpen...memory, even grow new brain cells" throughout a person's life. Equally important are social connections and romance. One research psychologist who studies the neurobiology of romantic love recommends injecting novelty into long-term marriages to get "a little dopamine-driven reward." The author ends with 16 suggestions for aging well and living exuberantly. "Happiness is love," she writes. "Full stop." For midlifers eager to "create a new habit of mind," Hagerty is a rousing cheerleader.

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February 15, 2016
When veteran NPR reporter Hagerty reached midlife, she decided to take a year off to interview scientists, psychologists, and a sampling of citizens about navigating middle age. Instead of crises, Hagerty found studies that show men and women using these years to start new careers, face physical challenges, and find meaning in their lives. As she moves chronologically through the year, Hagerty explores such topics as training your brain, keeping friends, powering thoughts, reviving a marriage, finding a purpose, rebounding from bad stuff, donating time and money, and looking for meaningful work. Interwoven with the science are her stories of caring for her aging (but still intellectually thriving) mother, training for the Senior Games, having the best vacation ever, and leaving her high-profile but stressful job. Hagerty 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

February 15, 2016

Journalist Hagerty (Fingerprints of God) presents an inspirational analysis of the midlife years (age 40 up), which she invested over a decade researching. She draws from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, genetics, and sociology, and even examines her own middle years to realize the myth of the "midlife crisis." Hagerty reveals that physical and emotional potential in this critical phase of life does not automatically deteriorate and that many people actually experience fulfillment during this stage. The insightful chapters address topics such as how the brain ages; the importance of friends in midlife; the significance of long-term romance; dealing with inevitable medical conditions; the power of altruism; the value of meaningful work; and finding a genuine purpose. Presenting a more positive approach than found in Gail Sheehy's Passages and Pathfinders, and more personal experiences than provided in Richard J. Leider and Alan M. Webber's Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities, Hagerty's exploration adds a tremendous complement to developmental psychologist Erik Erikson's classic research on psychosocial development. VERDICT This work is a joyous reminder that the middle years can be satisfying, resilient, and significant. [See Prepub Alert, 10/5/15.]--Dale Farris, Groves, TX

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015

Hagerty spent two decades covering law and religion for NPR and wrote the New York Times best-selling Fingerprints of God, an investigation of science and faith. All that effort seems to have laid the groundwork for her new book, which uses neurology, psychology, biology, genetics, and sociology--plus her personal experience--to challenge the idea that a midlife crisis is on everyone's calendar. Instead, she shows, it's a time of new opportunity.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.