Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife Paperback – March 14, 2017

I LOVE this book. The author distills a great deal of information into amusing and highly enjoyable storytelling. For anyone who is middle-aged or older and has concerns about slipping or simply wants to maintain what they have, this is the book for you. I recently turned 50, and I am having some concerns about the whippersnappers behind me, and my own abilities. The author has done a great job compiling research on all the major issues you can think of that are related to middle age and beyond in terms of cognitive and physical health. I would only add menopause and sexual health (I haven’t finished the book yet so it might be in there). I have already hit some of the potholes of life (husband had cancer) and I can see the possibilities looming in the not so distant future down the road. This book is both a huge comfort and an informative map. She has done the leg work to figure out the important points to handling life’s myriad of challenges as we age. She’s concerned about her “generativity,” she can cross that one off her to do list with this book. At least for the next decade, ha.

This is a well written book by an accomplished author. Liked what the author had to say and read it over the Easter weekend.Why I liked the book:-* Well written story that seamlessly combines personal experience, interviews and review of research and other writing.* The material spoke to me personally - I'm 58 - and the advice and ideas came across as reasonable and thoughtfulWhat concerned me about this book:-I had the same concerns with this book as I did with Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg; Lean In and Life Reimagined are books written by highly educated middle class (at least) white people; and I ask myself how relevant the ideas and solutions presented are for the battlers of society. That's a question Hagerty asks when she refers to the audience of National Public Radio in the US as "highly intelligent and mostly white" , but then goes straight on to mostly talk to that audience.Hagerty does acknowledge the impact of economic circumstances on life (those who work at Lowe's for $10 per hour, or who have lost their homes through foreclosure), but the bulk of the book is implicitly focused on those who have the intellect, educational background and time available to reflect that a minimum financial base allows. That worries me. To some extent, this is a book aimed at those of us who have the first 4 levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs sorted out and can spend time on "self actualization".One part that Hagerty could have left out is the section on her brother. Her brother Dave is the owner of The Atlantic. "Dave's life looks enviable: He is wealthy, with a beautiful wife and 3 exceptional boys educated at Yale or Princeton" . Dave is used as an example of a "new sort of generative phrase, one that accords with the definition I am advocating for people in midlife: targeting a problem using one's unique talents and resources". Dave generative phase is admirable; helping to release middle east hostages. I would have preferred an example more relevant for the "common" man or woman.Fortunately for myself, I am well educated and moderately well off, so the message of this book works for me (with an occasional question mark)

The media could not be loaded. Are you floundering in midlife without a sense of direction and purpose? This book will definitely help you.Do you want to stave off dementia and cognitive decline?This is a book about midlife management. Prior journalist, Barbara Bradley Hagerty seeks answers from the world's top minds through a memoir format. Hagerty interviews business people, professors, educators, and doctors to obtain competing opinions, just like a journalist. The author is credible.We go batty in our midlife because we have no externally imposed framework (semesters, sports, children, etc.) like we had in our younger years. It's time to renegotiate your purpose.Cherish your friendships, exercise, and keep your mind engaged. That, and so much more. My favorite was called "The Shifting Sands of Friendship." We need solid friendships to avoid the growing problem of loneliness. Hagerty incorporates neurology, psychology, biology, genetics, and sociology.Exercise is the Michael Jordan of cognition. Raise your heart rate, break a sweat, or better yet, compete in a sport event.Purposefully engage your mind throughout life. Learning new languages, instruments, and skills is smart strategy. We want to increase neuroplasticity. We want to grow new nerve tissue. We want to form new neural networks.Give a way time and money. Volunteer at least 2 hours per week. It will help with depression and boost your immune system.She addresses generativity, which is our lifelong impulses to invest in future generations.There really is no such thing as a midlife crisis. It's just how we adapt to changing circumstances. Reframe your perspective. I enjoyed this. I hope you will too.