Customer Reviews

The Adult Years: Mastering the Art of Self-Renewal

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Together with Richard Leider's books (particularly, Life Skills, The Power of Purpose & The Inventurers) & Richard Bolles' Parachute book, this book has been most pivotal in helping me to navigate my mid-life transition during the early 90's.

It has been beautifully crafted with warmth, passion, clarity & mastery of content. It provides a refreshingly optimistic perspective on mid-life transition & self-renewal. Best of all, it is solidly backed by several decades of research & consulting work at the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara, California.

I remember vividly when I first encountered this book in the early 90's, it was actually the back page of the book which attracted my attention: "Designing a rich adult life for a world in transition." followed by a quotation: "The Adult Years will help you to think about your life - & to stay vital all your life."

At that point in time, I was pondering about what I wanted to do with the second half of my life. I was 43 years old & a corporate rat then. I was working in quiet desperation.

Frankly, I was looking damned good...but actually going nowhere!

So, I started a frantic search for all kinds of seminars, workshops, books, magazines & resources to fuel my mind. I was very glad to bump into this book by chance. I particularly liked what the author has said in the book: "...adulthood is a cyclical experience that can be a ripening of our strengths rather than dull repetition or a dizzling merry-go-round....it is possible in a culture that glamourises youth more than it values maturity, to design a coherent, mature life that is resilient enough not only to survive but to be visionary & regenerating...by unleashing our own personal forces of self renewal, we can bring forth ideas & leadership for social renewal."

The author has masterfully protrayed the cycles of self-renewal through the various chapters of the book, as follows:

Part I: The Emerging Adult
1 The Adult Dilemma
2 Finding Possibilities in Cyclical Lives

Part II: The Cycle of Change - Life Structures & Transitions
3 The Patterns of Change
4 From Dreaming to Restructuring
5 from Disengaging to Cocooning
6 From Self renewal to New Beginnings

Part III: The Life Cycle
7 Meaning & Mission Across the Life Cycle
8 The Twenties & Thirties
9 The Forties & Fifties
10 The Sixties & seventies
11 Getting from Here to There: Six Principles of Life Cycle Change

Part IV: Adults & Global Change
12 Valueing the Global Context
13 The Self Renewing Adult, the Self Renewing Society

Over the many years since my first encounter with the book, I have often gone back to read some of the passages to seek further insights about empowerment throughout my adult years.

Every busy profesional would benefit from this marvellous book when coming of age. It is intelligently crafted & extremely helpful in providing a sensible framework for understanding - & appreciating - adult transitions & personal change.

In concluding this review, I enthusiastically recommend this book to all who are interested in the quality of life & peak performance in life's remaining years!

This is the best conceputalizaton of the second half of life that I have ever read.It puts theory into practice and teaches that one can stay young and continually evolving with the proper attitute, learning and social environments tempered with an active healthy life style. The concept of retirement is no longer valid in the 21st century. We must think of
'protirement'now that can live to be centegenarians.
We must entrepreneur our futures and proactively build
on the new or retooled skills of the previous years. Our tasks become:redefining values,renewing our life's purpose, continually training to stay ahead in the ever-changing world and transition gracefully with our wisdom into new and exciting terrain. Along with the challenge of growth and change,
we bring the wisdom of the years.

Coaches will help us with change and transition, for they are not
simply 'change agents', but 'change masters' trained to accompany up on our journey,to help guide our vision of the
life we long for before we say 'adieu'.

When I got my first grey hairs I started feeling so many different things about life and the process of aging. This book explained the different feelings I was having. It was a great relief to realize my feelings were so common. The words are easy to understand. The stories about others who have their own issues as they age are good ones to learn from. I recommend this book for any one feeling a bit perplexed about the aging process.

Lot's of valuable information. Written in a conversational style that is easy to read. Helpful insights and practical advice. A real resource to help you understand the life you are living.