Overview

For the first time in history, the middle- aged make up the largest, richest and most influential segment in the country. A trillion-dollar economy has grown up feeding and fuelling their needs, whims and desires. Millions of federal and foundation dollars have been spent on scientific research into their habits, health, marriages, divorces, fears, and passions. Their concerns and counsel dominate the self-help shelves in bookstores, while their quotidian dramas flood Facebook and Twitter. This book is a biography of the idea of middle age from its invention in the late 19th century to its current place at the centre of society, where it wields enormous economic, psychological and social power. Patricia Cohen's fascinating and revelatory book reports on cutting-edge science and chronicles the varying forces that shape our understanding of middle age today. She traces the different definitions of middle age - biological, psychological and sociological - and the different visions of middle age -- sometimes an influential, wealthy and satisfied figure, sometimes a paunchy, sexless and discouraged one. She also dismantles some of the most stubborn myths about the middle years, such as the midlife crisis and the empty nest syndrome.

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9781416572893

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Reviews

A cool, well-documented account that puts the concept of middle age into historical context. -Kirkus Reviews Witty and engaging...this comprehensive and entertaining social history highlights the possibilities of the middle years-and shows how middle age reflects the attitudes and customs of each generation that passes through it. -Publishers Weekly A comprehensive look at middle age through the eyes of scientists, historians, psychologists, medical doctors, marketers and many more. -Julie Carl, Winnipeg Free Press In Our Prime is a fascinating biography of the `idea of middle age' in American society...Comprehensively researched...A thoughtful inquiry. -Tom Lavoie, Shelf Awareness A thoroughly engaging cultural history... -Christine Sismondo, Toronto Star With lively writing, astute observations, and extensive research, this cultural history looks well beyond cougars and Botox. -Karen Holt, Oprah.com A fascinating biography of the idea of middle age...solidly researched. -Gail Sheehy, The New York Times Very fine...lucid, straightforward and conversational... a thorough-and thoroughly fascinating-cultural history of aging. -Julia Keller, Chicago Tribune In Our Prime is a fascinating study of this complex stage of life, a book whose appeal is likely to extend beyond the middle-age demographic to readers approaching or looking back on that key stage of life. -Jerry Harkavy, Associated Press A brilliant, wide-ranging book...Cohen's lively prose and thoughtful insights make this a joy to read. -Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe A lively, well-researched chronicle of the social and scientific forces that brought midlife America to its current befuddled state... -Laura Shapiro, New York Times Book Review

A comprehensive look at middle age through the eyes of scientists, historians, psychologists, medical doctors, marketers and many more. --Julie Carl, Winnipeg Free Press

A cool, well-documented account that puts the concept of middle age into historical context. -- Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Patricia Cohen has been a New York Times reporter for thirteen years. She has also worked at The Washington Post, New York Newsday, and Rolling Stone. She has a BA from Cornell University and a graduate degree from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.

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