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From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
The roadmap for finding purpose, meaning, and success as we age, from bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic's happiness columnist Arthur Brooks.
Many of us assume that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs.
What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success?
At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life.
Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.
Read this book and you, too, can go from strength to strength.
Many of us assume that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs.
What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success?
At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life.
Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.
Read this book and you, too, can go from strength to strength.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,113 reviews
March 7, 2022
This book is broken.
Brooks begins with the premise that, given how people decline in abilities as they age, the areas where success is found early in a career must change as people advance in their careers. He opens with alarming data demonstrating that it isn't just athletes who lose abilities early in life, but people in all disciplines and professions (except historians). Therefore, people must learn to "take the leap" from a career based on fluid intelligence to one based on crystallized intelligence. (Note: if you don't buy this theory, and instead point to the countless examples of people maintaining and building on successes throughout their lives, or applaud people who push themselves to grow and overcome the odds, or recognize the power of mindset in determining your abilities, then don't bother with the book because he doesn't offer additional support for his theory)
From there, Brooks packs every religious, philosophical, and self-help trope he can into 217 pages, including Buddhism and its focus on mindful awareness, the Harvard Study of Human Development, Brene Brown, imagining your eulogy, the Marshmallow test, and lots of Christianity. He repeatedly notes that he's citing from best-selling books and videos that have 40 million views, suggesting he knows you've likely read or heard everything he's writing before. So what new insights does he have to offer?
In short, none. Once he says you should jump from fluid intelligence to crystallized intelligence he's done. His subsequent chapters--on finding meaning in your work, discovering what matters most to you, building relationships, and embracing your weaknesses--have little or nothing to do with the shift he refers to. This is perhaps most evident when he summarizes his core ideas at the end of the book: Identify your marshmallow (what?!?), the work you do has to be the reward, do the most interesting thing you can, and a career change doesn't have to be a straight line. I tell my students that a conclusion should summarize what you already said instead of introducing wholly new concepts, but Brooks is not one of my students.
The other thing you may notice in these four guidelines is the audience Brooks is clearly writing for: the elite. He's writing for captains of industry who have the security and resources to go on week-long walking retreats or to an oceanside resort in Baja California to explore their careers, not those who may be struggling to make ends meet or are worried about caring for their family when they're no longer able to work. He doesn't hide this fact, and repeatedly refers to his readers as clearly the most successful, hardest-working, insightful, and accomplished people around; at one point, he implies that many/most of his readers are probably attorneys and physicians. It's not surprising that this is his imagined readership, because he relationship-drops throughout the book with friends who are famous CEOs, accomplished presidents of companies, wealthy investors, and so on. As the president of a conservative think tank in DC and Harvard professor, it's clear who he relates to and who he writes for. It's not for the majority of Americans. His elitism isn't even latent when he discusses the marshmallow tests, as he wipes away concerns that the original study overlooked the role of environment and culture in the subjects by writing: "The implication remained: good things come to those who wait--and work, and sacrifice, and maybe even suffer" (as though children from impoverished environments who ate the marshmallow don't work, sacrifice, and suffer just as much for much less reward). But the reader shouldn't fret, because "The question for you is not whether you could have passed Mischel's marshmallow test; you wouldn't be bothering with this book if you couldn't, because you wouldn't have had enough success to be suffering right now." Pretty blatant, right?
While Brooks is awfully proud of himself, it's striking how many things he gets wrong in his book. From describing Stoicism as "suffering in silence" (Stoics believe suffering can be eliminated), to saying western classical music is all about adding to resulting in huge symphonies (as a former classical musician, he should know about partitas, duets, trios, chamber music, etc.), and saying "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones is popular "not because it's such a great piece of music, but because it states a truth about life" (there's no context in which this sentence isn't ridiculous), the book is filled with ideas that are demonstrably wrong. These are minor points, but also suggest Brooks is not as insightful as he claims.
In short, this is a book with a flawed premise supported by nothing new written for the elite. Hard pass.
Brooks begins with the premise that, given how people decline in abilities as they age, the areas where success is found early in a career must change as people advance in their careers. He opens with alarming data demonstrating that it isn't just athletes who lose abilities early in life, but people in all disciplines and professions (except historians). Therefore, people must learn to "take the leap" from a career based on fluid intelligence to one based on crystallized intelligence. (Note: if you don't buy this theory, and instead point to the countless examples of people maintaining and building on successes throughout their lives, or applaud people who push themselves to grow and overcome the odds, or recognize the power of mindset in determining your abilities, then don't bother with the book because he doesn't offer additional support for his theory)
From there, Brooks packs every religious, philosophical, and self-help trope he can into 217 pages, including Buddhism and its focus on mindful awareness, the Harvard Study of Human Development, Brene Brown, imagining your eulogy, the Marshmallow test, and lots of Christianity. He repeatedly notes that he's citing from best-selling books and videos that have 40 million views, suggesting he knows you've likely read or heard everything he's writing before. So what new insights does he have to offer?
In short, none. Once he says you should jump from fluid intelligence to crystallized intelligence he's done. His subsequent chapters--on finding meaning in your work, discovering what matters most to you, building relationships, and embracing your weaknesses--have little or nothing to do with the shift he refers to. This is perhaps most evident when he summarizes his core ideas at the end of the book: Identify your marshmallow (what?!?), the work you do has to be the reward, do the most interesting thing you can, and a career change doesn't have to be a straight line. I tell my students that a conclusion should summarize what you already said instead of introducing wholly new concepts, but Brooks is not one of my students.
The other thing you may notice in these four guidelines is the audience Brooks is clearly writing for: the elite. He's writing for captains of industry who have the security and resources to go on week-long walking retreats or to an oceanside resort in Baja California to explore their careers, not those who may be struggling to make ends meet or are worried about caring for their family when they're no longer able to work. He doesn't hide this fact, and repeatedly refers to his readers as clearly the most successful, hardest-working, insightful, and accomplished people around; at one point, he implies that many/most of his readers are probably attorneys and physicians. It's not surprising that this is his imagined readership, because he relationship-drops throughout the book with friends who are famous CEOs, accomplished presidents of companies, wealthy investors, and so on. As the president of a conservative think tank in DC and Harvard professor, it's clear who he relates to and who he writes for. It's not for the majority of Americans. His elitism isn't even latent when he discusses the marshmallow tests, as he wipes away concerns that the original study overlooked the role of environment and culture in the subjects by writing: "The implication remained: good things come to those who wait--and work, and sacrifice, and maybe even suffer" (as though children from impoverished environments who ate the marshmallow don't work, sacrifice, and suffer just as much for much less reward). But the reader shouldn't fret, because "The question for you is not whether you could have passed Mischel's marshmallow test; you wouldn't be bothering with this book if you couldn't, because you wouldn't have had enough success to be suffering right now." Pretty blatant, right?
While Brooks is awfully proud of himself, it's striking how many things he gets wrong in his book. From describing Stoicism as "suffering in silence" (Stoics believe suffering can be eliminated), to saying western classical music is all about adding to resulting in huge symphonies (as a former classical musician, he should know about partitas, duets, trios, chamber music, etc.), and saying "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones is popular "not because it's such a great piece of music, but because it states a truth about life" (there's no context in which this sentence isn't ridiculous), the book is filled with ideas that are demonstrably wrong. These are minor points, but also suggest Brooks is not as insightful as he claims.
In short, this is a book with a flawed premise supported by nothing new written for the elite. Hard pass.
March 25, 2022
The ideas aren't new, however they are worth repeating and I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and finding nuggets here and there that interested me.
I liked the idea based on Eastern thinking of shedding things as we age, rather than the Western idea of accumulating things, as 'trophies' symbolizing a life well-lived. To quote the author: "As we age we shouldn't accumulate more to represent ourselves, but rather strip things away to find our true selves." In my own life, I try to travel light and think carefully before adding more stuff to my home that will take my time, care and attention.
The idea of mindful living, remaining in the moment is not new. However, again, I think it's worth being reminded. To "cultivate my garden" I make it a habit to notice small items of beauty each day, a clear blue sky, a new blooming flower, the colors on a billboard, how my environment appears in the the early evening light. This practice helps me to keep my thoughts positive and hopeful and in the here and now.
The idea of being interconnected, establishing a 'root system' is also important. According to the author we connect to others by revealing our weaknesses to each other rather than our successes. We draw near to each other when we share our pain and tears.
"Studies show, for example, that when nurses are vulnerable with patients about their own lives they are more absorbed in their work and patients become more courageous and engaged in their care and thus have better outcomes. Organizational leaders are happier and perceived as more effective by the subordinates when they vulnerable and human."
Another idea that just seems like commonsense is that "good relationships keep us happier and healthier." Considering how much time we spend at work, having friends in the workplace seems particularly important and can positively contribute to our happiness, our job performance and our satisfaction. I was interested to learn that "employees who say they have a best friend at work are almost twice as likely as others to enjoy their work day and almost 50% more likely to report high social well-being." Good to know!
The author summarizes all he has discovered and learned in the following few words: "Use things, love people, worship the divine."
I liked the idea based on Eastern thinking of shedding things as we age, rather than the Western idea of accumulating things, as 'trophies' symbolizing a life well-lived. To quote the author: "As we age we shouldn't accumulate more to represent ourselves, but rather strip things away to find our true selves." In my own life, I try to travel light and think carefully before adding more stuff to my home that will take my time, care and attention.
The idea of mindful living, remaining in the moment is not new. However, again, I think it's worth being reminded. To "cultivate my garden" I make it a habit to notice small items of beauty each day, a clear blue sky, a new blooming flower, the colors on a billboard, how my environment appears in the the early evening light. This practice helps me to keep my thoughts positive and hopeful and in the here and now.
The idea of being interconnected, establishing a 'root system' is also important. According to the author we connect to others by revealing our weaknesses to each other rather than our successes. We draw near to each other when we share our pain and tears.
"Studies show, for example, that when nurses are vulnerable with patients about their own lives they are more absorbed in their work and patients become more courageous and engaged in their care and thus have better outcomes. Organizational leaders are happier and perceived as more effective by the subordinates when they vulnerable and human."
Another idea that just seems like commonsense is that "good relationships keep us happier and healthier." Considering how much time we spend at work, having friends in the workplace seems particularly important and can positively contribute to our happiness, our job performance and our satisfaction. I was interested to learn that "employees who say they have a best friend at work are almost twice as likely as others to enjoy their work day and almost 50% more likely to report high social well-being." Good to know!
The author summarizes all he has discovered and learned in the following few words: "Use things, love people, worship the divine."
March 9, 2022
I was drawn to this book by a profile of the author and his philosophy in the Sunday Times and when I basically read it was a book aimed at successful and currently career-focused “strivers” (his term) who are entering the second half of life (the article and book both also mention over 50).
As someone about to turn 54 and who is also in the last few weeks of six months’ notice before a major job change I thought this might be of interest – and this was reinforced for me when I saw (which I had not realised until I started the book) that the author draws on religious ideas – in particular Catholicism and Buddhism.
The author is a writer for the Atlantic Magazine – and the book is I think based on his much of his writing here and his “How to Build a Happy Life” podcast.
Some of the key ideas in the book:
Striver Curse: People who strive to be excellent at what they do often wind up finding their inevitable decline terrifying, their successes increasingly unsatisfying, and their relationships lacking.
Professional Decline is inevitable and coming (much) sooner than you think: the author includes various statistics of when many knowledge workers/scientists/artistic professions reach their peak. As a one time mathematician (where it has been said for year that your peak research age is before 30) I was perhaps more familiar with this than most – but its certainly interesting to see the evidence he amasses for professions (e.g. malpractice suites for doctors). A second and in the author’s eyes related set of statistics relates to half-life : the age at which half of your productivity is done – and which he finds is 20 years after career commencement. For me this was not such a shocking statistic as I guess most people assume they will do a career for around 40 years it felt like simply linear interpolation, but the author also tries to explain it better with a graph of peak productivity and its decline from a similar point (he I think gets a little confused over the difference between what is effectively a mode and a mean). In either case though the key is that from say 40-45 you are in decline in most professions and he give many examples of how this then causes the dissatisfaction most strivers are cursed with.
The Second Curve: this is I would say the key idea and for me the best takeaway of the book (and I think the author may agree). Based in a 1971 book by Cattell he talks about the two types of intelligence and their different curves: Fluid intelligence !”raw smarts”) – which is the type that declines very early, sometimes even in the 30s; Crystallised intelligence (“the ability to use a stock of knowledge learnt in the past”) which tends to grow even into the 60s (and possibly not even then). His strong advice is to actively jump from one curve to the other. He posits that this implies for his readers a move to instruction later in life – his main focus seems to be on actually moving firms/careers into some form of teaching or coaching but for me it seemed to support an idea of moving into a more senior professional role where you can mentor and direct a team of younger professionals – relying on them for the latest techniques (in my case for example big data and machine learning; SQL and Python) while you attempt to bring years of battle scars and domain knowledge (in my case – navigation of cycles and deep insurance expertise).
I must admit that for me (and symbolically appropriately at around page 40) the book itself declined in real insightful ideas after this point, although equally appropriately that was perhaps because it then moved into the area of more learned and experienced wisdom and advice.
Not all of this interested me – but some ideas that did:
A discussion of success addiction and the associated addiction of workaholism – he cleverly describes this as self-objectification (objectifying yourself by what you do, how you look, what you earn etc.) and perfectionism
The idea of chipping away at your life to get to what is really worthwhile – he again cleverly describes this as a reverse bucket list where you each year reduce your desires to what will make you truly happy and tick off another striving you have realised does not. He talks about the dangers of defining satisfaction as getting what you want, and defining success as having more than others.
The importance of pondering your death – as a Christian this perhaps comes very naturally, but I was struck by the scene described in “About Schmidt” about a retired insurance Chief Actuary revisiting his old workplace to find he has quickly been dismissed as of no longer needed – particularly striking as an insurance Chief Actuary about to transition roles!
The seven big predictors of being happy: Don’t smoke, Avoid Alcohol, Healthy Body Weight, Stay physically active (walk every day), Develop an adaptive coping style. Practice continuing education, Seek stable long-term relationships (the most important and the author argues ideally involves a stable long term partners plus a group of genuinely close friends (and both should be cultivated and invested in and that true friendships are unlikely to be found by a leader at work)
The author sums the book up via seven words:
Overall I found this an interesting book with plenty to ponder, if perhaps rather ironically struggling to find much deep or purposeful in the second half of the book
My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley
As someone about to turn 54 and who is also in the last few weeks of six months’ notice before a major job change I thought this might be of interest – and this was reinforced for me when I saw (which I had not realised until I started the book) that the author draws on religious ideas – in particular Catholicism and Buddhism.
The author is a writer for the Atlantic Magazine – and the book is I think based on his much of his writing here and his “How to Build a Happy Life” podcast.
Some of the key ideas in the book:
Striver Curse: People who strive to be excellent at what they do often wind up finding their inevitable decline terrifying, their successes increasingly unsatisfying, and their relationships lacking.
Professional Decline is inevitable and coming (much) sooner than you think: the author includes various statistics of when many knowledge workers/scientists/artistic professions reach their peak. As a one time mathematician (where it has been said for year that your peak research age is before 30) I was perhaps more familiar with this than most – but its certainly interesting to see the evidence he amasses for professions (e.g. malpractice suites for doctors). A second and in the author’s eyes related set of statistics relates to half-life : the age at which half of your productivity is done – and which he finds is 20 years after career commencement. For me this was not such a shocking statistic as I guess most people assume they will do a career for around 40 years it felt like simply linear interpolation, but the author also tries to explain it better with a graph of peak productivity and its decline from a similar point (he I think gets a little confused over the difference between what is effectively a mode and a mean). In either case though the key is that from say 40-45 you are in decline in most professions and he give many examples of how this then causes the dissatisfaction most strivers are cursed with.
The Second Curve: this is I would say the key idea and for me the best takeaway of the book (and I think the author may agree). Based in a 1971 book by Cattell he talks about the two types of intelligence and their different curves: Fluid intelligence !”raw smarts”) – which is the type that declines very early, sometimes even in the 30s; Crystallised intelligence (“the ability to use a stock of knowledge learnt in the past”) which tends to grow even into the 60s (and possibly not even then). His strong advice is to actively jump from one curve to the other. He posits that this implies for his readers a move to instruction later in life – his main focus seems to be on actually moving firms/careers into some form of teaching or coaching but for me it seemed to support an idea of moving into a more senior professional role where you can mentor and direct a team of younger professionals – relying on them for the latest techniques (in my case for example big data and machine learning; SQL and Python) while you attempt to bring years of battle scars and domain knowledge (in my case – navigation of cycles and deep insurance expertise).
I must admit that for me (and symbolically appropriately at around page 40) the book itself declined in real insightful ideas after this point, although equally appropriately that was perhaps because it then moved into the area of more learned and experienced wisdom and advice.
Not all of this interested me – but some ideas that did:
A discussion of success addiction and the associated addiction of workaholism – he cleverly describes this as self-objectification (objectifying yourself by what you do, how you look, what you earn etc.) and perfectionism
The idea of chipping away at your life to get to what is really worthwhile – he again cleverly describes this as a reverse bucket list where you each year reduce your desires to what will make you truly happy and tick off another striving you have realised does not. He talks about the dangers of defining satisfaction as getting what you want, and defining success as having more than others.
The importance of pondering your death – as a Christian this perhaps comes very naturally, but I was struck by the scene described in “About Schmidt” about a retired insurance Chief Actuary revisiting his old workplace to find he has quickly been dismissed as of no longer needed – particularly striking as an insurance Chief Actuary about to transition roles!
The seven big predictors of being happy: Don’t smoke, Avoid Alcohol, Healthy Body Weight, Stay physically active (walk every day), Develop an adaptive coping style. Practice continuing education, Seek stable long-term relationships (the most important and the author argues ideally involves a stable long term partners plus a group of genuinely close friends (and both should be cultivated and invested in and that true friendships are unlikely to be found by a leader at work)
The author sums the book up via seven words:
Use things
Love people
Worship the divine
Overall I found this an interesting book with plenty to ponder, if perhaps rather ironically struggling to find much deep or purposeful in the second half of the book
My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley
June 17, 2022
Me while reading the first half of this book: All my middle-aged friends need to read this book.
Me when I got to the Catholic-heavy chapter on religion: Ugh. Well, at least it's just one chapter, I guess.
The start of the next chapter: Saint Paul was the most successful entrepreneur of all time because he invented Christianity.
I feel like there is a way to write about spirituality that doesn't lean so heavily on organized religion, which is just one expression of spirituality. Also, as an ex-Catholic, encountering a thick slathering of unexpected Catholicism in the wild is dismaying for reasons that ex-Catholics will understand.
Me when I got to the Catholic-heavy chapter on religion: Ugh. Well, at least it's just one chapter, I guess.
The start of the next chapter: Saint Paul was the most successful entrepreneur of all time because he invented Christianity.
I feel like there is a way to write about spirituality that doesn't lean so heavily on organized religion, which is just one expression of spirituality. Also, as an ex-Catholic, encountering a thick slathering of unexpected Catholicism in the wild is dismaying for reasons that ex-Catholics will understand.
Read
March 10, 2022A great book about thinking about happiness and how our lives change over time.
February 27, 2022
Very disappointed, I heard the author interviewed on NPR and had the impression that this book would give me some useful insights into finding meaning in my post retirement years. .
The author of course is entitled to his own personal ideas regarding living a meaningful life but did not present anything enlightening or new. They were forward too many personal antidotes regarding his family and ultimately his answer was his rediscovery of Catholicism and religion.
I would not waste your time or money reading this book
The author of course is entitled to his own personal ideas regarding living a meaningful life but did not present anything enlightening or new. They were forward too many personal antidotes regarding his family and ultimately his answer was his rediscovery of Catholicism and religion.
I would not waste your time or money reading this book
October 8, 2021
| 𝙀-𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 |
𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉
Line from the book,
Whenever someone asked my dad, “How's life?" he would cheerfully answer,“Better than the alternative!”
Majority of us highly prioritise our younger self as most important part of the life. Workaholism, being the life-saving factor. What's next?
Author points out an essential as well as interesting aspect of Life we often tend to miss out. After retirement phase , author calls it as "Second Curve".
This phase is itself a great and fresh start for self-exploration, deep diving into hobbies, personality. Spending quality time with family (that we missed out in workdays), visiting places, and many more.
Life isn't get fulfilled untill we know how to live it. With age, it's easier to combine and utilise complex ideas. And the most common age for great discovery is one's late thirties, as said by author in book.
The book has been a rollercoaster ride for me. It is very well researched and added with many quick and inspiring examples from various famous personalities, who paved their success during late thirties and onwards.
Those who look themselves through mirror of aging, worried about how life's going to look like in late fourties and later on. This is a must read book, filled with an immense positivity, bringing back whole new enthusiasm of living and loving the life.
Thank you @netgalley ,Author and publishers of the book for providing an e-copy of the book pre-release. It was a lovely read.
𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉
Line from the book,
Whenever someone asked my dad, “How's life?" he would cheerfully answer,“Better than the alternative!”
Majority of us highly prioritise our younger self as most important part of the life. Workaholism, being the life-saving factor. What's next?
Author points out an essential as well as interesting aspect of Life we often tend to miss out. After retirement phase , author calls it as "Second Curve".
This phase is itself a great and fresh start for self-exploration, deep diving into hobbies, personality. Spending quality time with family (that we missed out in workdays), visiting places, and many more.
Life isn't get fulfilled untill we know how to live it. With age, it's easier to combine and utilise complex ideas. And the most common age for great discovery is one's late thirties, as said by author in book.
The book has been a rollercoaster ride for me. It is very well researched and added with many quick and inspiring examples from various famous personalities, who paved their success during late thirties and onwards.
Those who look themselves through mirror of aging, worried about how life's going to look like in late fourties and later on. This is a must read book, filled with an immense positivity, bringing back whole new enthusiasm of living and loving the life.
Thank you @netgalley ,Author and publishers of the book for providing an e-copy of the book pre-release. It was a lovely read.
September 17, 2023
Brooks pitches his message (and oversells it a little) rather dramatically with chapter headings like “Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think” and “Ponder Your Death.” In essence the takeaway is that how one works best and what one is capable of shifts as one hits the midpoint of one’s working years. Workaholic ‘strivers’ beware, going hard in the same way you could in your 20s is unlikely to yield the same product, or result in late-life happiness. His recommendation is that from mid-career we shift towards work that uses ‘crystallized intelligence,’ “the ability to use a stock of knowledge learned in the past.” He notes that some professions by their nature rely more on ‘crystallized intelligence,’ and says that one’s professional peak will come later in these fields (he gives the example of historian).
Other ideas that Brooks propounds include resisting both social comparison and objectifying ourselves - wanting to be ‘special’ rather than happy, which I thought was an interesting and useful way to put it. Brooks encourages a memento mori approach to life in midlife and beyond. Instead of a bucket list of things we want to acquire and do, he suggests we focus on the ‘why’ of how we spend our time, and he discusses maintaining relationships with friends and family as key to late-life happiness. His discussion of leaders’ loneliness made sense.
The book has aspects of universal applicability and provides a useful way of framing and thinking about issues. I certainly will try to remember and draw on aspects of it. However, the author addresses himself to a specific career trajectory - an audience of hard-driving ‘strivers’ aiming to maintain the innovation and successes of their 20s and 30s. Brooks does not discuss that women and other caregivers might have a very different curve to their working lives, that young people today might still be living at home and/or studying well into where he would place the conventional career peak, or that people work hard in ways that are not entirely in their own hands beyond midlife for financial reasons, rather than due to ‘success addiction.’
Other ideas that Brooks propounds include resisting both social comparison and objectifying ourselves - wanting to be ‘special’ rather than happy, which I thought was an interesting and useful way to put it. Brooks encourages a memento mori approach to life in midlife and beyond. Instead of a bucket list of things we want to acquire and do, he suggests we focus on the ‘why’ of how we spend our time, and he discusses maintaining relationships with friends and family as key to late-life happiness. His discussion of leaders’ loneliness made sense.
The book has aspects of universal applicability and provides a useful way of framing and thinking about issues. I certainly will try to remember and draw on aspects of it. However, the author addresses himself to a specific career trajectory - an audience of hard-driving ‘strivers’ aiming to maintain the innovation and successes of their 20s and 30s. Brooks does not discuss that women and other caregivers might have a very different curve to their working lives, that young people today might still be living at home and/or studying well into where he would place the conventional career peak, or that people work hard in ways that are not entirely in their own hands beyond midlife for financial reasons, rather than due to ‘success addiction.’
February 15, 2022
A self-help book for people over 50. Many of us are what the author refers to as “strivers” who work hard most of our lives to build our careers. However as we age, our work competence declines along with everything else and this can be a rough transition for those of us who do not plan for it. Starting in our 50s, it is important to look for ways to “jump” from fluid intelligence to crystallized intelligence, using knowledge learned through our careers and life experience to find activities that help us continue to contribute and have life satisfaction. I enjoyed the author’s terms in describing these important transitions. He also focused on relationships and spirituality in the bulk of the book, most of which I found to be common knowledge when it comes to self-help. The four stages of life that the author learned from the guru was helpful in prioritizing the objectives of each phase but otherwise, I found most of the book offered nothing new or helpful at least for me and was mostly pretty dry and uninteresting. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy.
February 26, 2022
Arthur Brooks has thought deeply about aging and our work lives. A mid-fifties Harvard Sociology professor, he has some creative paradigms to offer based on ancient wisdom and research from the past 50 years.
Speaking of 50–that’s me and I plan to not be working soon—this is the primary target audience of From Strength to Strength but there is something to be gained for the new entrant to work. The singular best advice he offers is the distinction between fluid intelligence (which significantly declines by 50) and crystalized intelligence (which continues to grow throughout the lifespan) and how we can plan for and adapt between the two forms. As an example, take the think tank entrepreneur who later in life becomes a college professor and teaches the next generation…the path of Mr. Brooks. Seems intuitive enough, however strategic planning and intentional life mapping at a younger age may yield better results.
As a book, the chapters do not mesh well and it feels like a series of Atlantic magazine articles, which is really what this slim 170+ page book actually is. At least one of the nine chapters will make you think differently and what better compliment can be paid to anything we read? I wish I read it when I was 20.
Speaking of 50–that’s me and I plan to not be working soon—this is the primary target audience of From Strength to Strength but there is something to be gained for the new entrant to work. The singular best advice he offers is the distinction between fluid intelligence (which significantly declines by 50) and crystalized intelligence (which continues to grow throughout the lifespan) and how we can plan for and adapt between the two forms. As an example, take the think tank entrepreneur who later in life becomes a college professor and teaches the next generation…the path of Mr. Brooks. Seems intuitive enough, however strategic planning and intentional life mapping at a younger age may yield better results.
As a book, the chapters do not mesh well and it feels like a series of Atlantic magazine articles, which is really what this slim 170+ page book actually is. At least one of the nine chapters will make you think differently and what better compliment can be paid to anything we read? I wish I read it when I was 20.
March 3, 2022
I think i had unreasonable expectations. I saw this author on Morning Joe and they were praising this book. I mean, there were some suggestions that we should all be contemplating like being happy with what we have instead of constantly struggling for more, more, more. I agree that everyone should have at least a couple solid relationships and should try to find a fulfilling career as we age and except the inevitability of our decline. I love the idea of people teaching rather than holding on for dear life to keep unreasonable hours and physical and/or intellectual production. I think this book was written for mega professionals and not the everyday person. I'm bothered by the idea of people "cramming for the exam" to find religion at the end of life and the idea that everyone should stop eating and drinking alcohol. When the author said that he was shocked Anthony Bourdain could be so successful "doing something as prosaic as eating" he lost my full attention.
May 15, 2022
Ugh. You've heard of the meeting that could have been an email. This is the full length book that could have been an article.
A lot of friends love this book but it reminded me of getting stuck next to a guy at dinner who couldn't stop talking about himself. An odd collection of bumper sticker wisdom with blatant proselytizing.
It really wants for better editing because conversations were repeated verbatim. I imagine there were bits of wisdom that might be helpful to readers but the initial point the cognitive abilities fade with age and one needs to adapt was beaten to death.
A lot of friends love this book but it reminded me of getting stuck next to a guy at dinner who couldn't stop talking about himself. An odd collection of bumper sticker wisdom with blatant proselytizing.
It really wants for better editing because conversations were repeated verbatim. I imagine there were bits of wisdom that might be helpful to readers but the initial point the cognitive abilities fade with age and one needs to adapt was beaten to death.
February 26, 2022
I read his article in The Atlantic, which inspired me to read the book.
Somehow, ... he was able to stretch an article into an entire book! (It is a very slim book with copious footnotes and acknowledgements.)
In the book, he does introduce ONE big concept, but much of the book IMHO seemed like filler to the original article. (Side note: I enjoyed the anecdote about JS Bach.) I found myself reading one chapter after another, thinking, "Where's the beef?"
Somehow, ... he was able to stretch an article into an entire book! (It is a very slim book with copious footnotes and acknowledgements.)
In the book, he does introduce ONE big concept, but much of the book IMHO seemed like filler to the original article. (Side note: I enjoyed the anecdote about JS Bach.) I found myself reading one chapter after another, thinking, "Where's the beef?"
January 12, 2023
“Devote the back half of your life to serving others with your wisdom. Get old sharing the things you believe are most important. Excellence is always its own reward, and this is how you can be most excellent as you age.” Arthur Brooks
Let's face it- aging sucks. Once you pass the age of 40, there is an inevitable decline in both physical and mental abilities. Some people deny it and fight it, perhaps staving off the inevitable by a few years, but it is what it is. Even worse, in some professions mental abilities peak by age 30, and if you haven't made an impact by then you never will. But what if I told you there's a second curve, one that includes rising abilities of a different type, well into your 60's?
Finding strength in the second half of life, when declines are inevitable is the subject of From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks. Dr. Brooks is a Harvard professor, social scientist, and frequent writer for the Atlantic. He has a number of New York Times bestselling books including Love Your Enemies, Gross National Happiness, and The Road to Freedom.
Most of the strength of young minds involves something called fluid intelligence. That's what peaks by age 30 or 35. This type of intelligence is what we use while problem-solving and creating new solutions to novel problems. Scientists, musicians, professionals, and athletes all use fluid intelligence to look at problems and come up with fast and efficient solutions. Once that skill declines, they tend to fall back on what's worked in the past, which can be unreliable and out-of-date. Fluid intelligence works best in new situations where new strategies must be developed, which is how we learn and grow throughout youth.
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is a saying that has a lot of truth to it. After age 40 our abilities to confront new tricks decline, though for those who keep exercising their mind muscles, that decline is much slower, and never to zero. Luckily, there's a second type of intelligence that kicks in once we reach middle age, and that's crystallized intelligence.
Crystallized intelligence grows in powers just as fluid intelligence is starting to decline. It is the ability to used experience and already established knowledge to make sense of the world and make connections. While fluid intelligence is raw computing power, crystallized intelligence is wisdom. While the former may know that a tomato is a fruit, the latter knows not to put one into a fruit salad. Brooks spends most of his book inspiring those who fear decline how to access this later, lesser know, curve and add value to the second half of life.
Dr. Brooks got the idea for this book by observing a famous celebrity (he won't reveal who it was) on an airplane, and seeing that person's desperate cling to significance and attention, even though his/her best days were behind them. Many people in the second half tend to live in the past, when rosy colored glasses present them with a period of life that things were always getting better and better. Human beings are notoriously afraid of losing things- status, power, money, and that loss aversion can be much more powerful than any compulsion to go out and create something new and valuable. Some end up in denial that any loss has taken place, while others double down on obsessive workaholism to try to keep up with the results of the past. Now there may be another alternative.
This newfound crystallized intelligence can be used for entirely new endeavors where it is most needed- teaching, coaching, counseling, writing, and organizing. While new breakthroughs need fluid thinking, they are impossible alone without input from elders who know what the right questions are, and what hasn't worked in the past. Our culture has always celebrated youth, but there's still a way for the elderly to make an impact through volunteering, teaching, consulting, or just by sharing stories with younger generations. Plus even though their fluid intelligence declines, they still have some, and it can still come up with miracles, especially if paired with prior learning.
The second half of this book is full of helpful advice for aging happily and gracefully, and this book would be a great read for anybody over 40. Here are some tidbits I took from it:
1- Create a reverse bucket list. In the first half of life we become obsessed with more and more experiences and accomplishments. As we age, many of these experiences lose their appeal and we need to take a good hard look at what things and experiences will truly bring the most happiness. Cut out the trivial things as time gets shorter, and you appreciate the big things even more.
2- Satisfaction in life equals what you have divided by what you want. We are always obsessed with what we have and what others have. But if that amount pales in comparison to what we think we want, we become miserable. Part of the secret of a happy life is managing the denominator in that equation. What do we really want? Minimizing the things we think we want down to the essentials makes being happy that much easier.
3- Don't fear death. Expose yourself to death and dying to minimize the fears that will only grow as you get older. When time seems unlimited, we waste so much of it, but appreciating the limited time that we all have gives everything more meaning.
4- Cultivate your Aspen grove. Aspen trees grow tall into the sky only because their roots intertwine with those of many other trees. Research has shown that the number one thing that older people can to to make life longer and more rewarding is to cultivate long-term, stable, and meaningful relationships. Aging brings challenges- deaths of loved ones, disease, disabilities, and financial challenges, and the more connected we are to others, the more resilient we can be when those challenges arise.
5- Embrace spirituality in your third act. Childhood is all about learning. Young adulthood is all about growing. And the third act, according to many, is about figuring out who you truly are and why you were here. Cutting out the distractions of the first two acts leaves us with a good sense of what we are all about, and a chance to look for deeper answers to what our purpose has been here on Earth. That's where spirituality comes in.
6- Make weakness into a strength. Many of us are so filled with pride that we shudder at the thought of others seeing us as frail and weak. Growing old inevitably leads to more vulnerability- both physically and mentally. Brooks encourages the readers to embrace both vulnerability and pain as we age. Admitting vulnerability, which we often feel makes us less desirable, often works the opposite way- attracting people and helpers into our lives. And experiencing pain or loss, while always unpleasant, increases our resilience and gives our lives more meaning than if we just lived a happy-go-lucky lifestyle.
7- Change is unavoidable. While change can be uncomfortable while it is happening, many valuable things can be learned during periods of transition. If things always stayed the same, we'd end up learning a lot less in life.
I've seen similar advice in other books about aging, but this one pulls a lot together, especially the stuff about crystallized intelligence. Loss and decline are scary, and many people feel ashamed and confused when it starts to happen. Aging is perfectly natural, and it's our challenge to make the best of it, just like it was our challenge to make the best of our first half of life. The rules and skills are different, but we all have something to learn, even those over age 100. Brooks closes the book with seven powerful words that sum up his philosophy:
Use things
Love people
Worship the divine
Let's face it- aging sucks. Once you pass the age of 40, there is an inevitable decline in both physical and mental abilities. Some people deny it and fight it, perhaps staving off the inevitable by a few years, but it is what it is. Even worse, in some professions mental abilities peak by age 30, and if you haven't made an impact by then you never will. But what if I told you there's a second curve, one that includes rising abilities of a different type, well into your 60's?
Finding strength in the second half of life, when declines are inevitable is the subject of From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks. Dr. Brooks is a Harvard professor, social scientist, and frequent writer for the Atlantic. He has a number of New York Times bestselling books including Love Your Enemies, Gross National Happiness, and The Road to Freedom.
Most of the strength of young minds involves something called fluid intelligence. That's what peaks by age 30 or 35. This type of intelligence is what we use while problem-solving and creating new solutions to novel problems. Scientists, musicians, professionals, and athletes all use fluid intelligence to look at problems and come up with fast and efficient solutions. Once that skill declines, they tend to fall back on what's worked in the past, which can be unreliable and out-of-date. Fluid intelligence works best in new situations where new strategies must be developed, which is how we learn and grow throughout youth.
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is a saying that has a lot of truth to it. After age 40 our abilities to confront new tricks decline, though for those who keep exercising their mind muscles, that decline is much slower, and never to zero. Luckily, there's a second type of intelligence that kicks in once we reach middle age, and that's crystallized intelligence.
Crystallized intelligence grows in powers just as fluid intelligence is starting to decline. It is the ability to used experience and already established knowledge to make sense of the world and make connections. While fluid intelligence is raw computing power, crystallized intelligence is wisdom. While the former may know that a tomato is a fruit, the latter knows not to put one into a fruit salad. Brooks spends most of his book inspiring those who fear decline how to access this later, lesser know, curve and add value to the second half of life.
Dr. Brooks got the idea for this book by observing a famous celebrity (he won't reveal who it was) on an airplane, and seeing that person's desperate cling to significance and attention, even though his/her best days were behind them. Many people in the second half tend to live in the past, when rosy colored glasses present them with a period of life that things were always getting better and better. Human beings are notoriously afraid of losing things- status, power, money, and that loss aversion can be much more powerful than any compulsion to go out and create something new and valuable. Some end up in denial that any loss has taken place, while others double down on obsessive workaholism to try to keep up with the results of the past. Now there may be another alternative.
This newfound crystallized intelligence can be used for entirely new endeavors where it is most needed- teaching, coaching, counseling, writing, and organizing. While new breakthroughs need fluid thinking, they are impossible alone without input from elders who know what the right questions are, and what hasn't worked in the past. Our culture has always celebrated youth, but there's still a way for the elderly to make an impact through volunteering, teaching, consulting, or just by sharing stories with younger generations. Plus even though their fluid intelligence declines, they still have some, and it can still come up with miracles, especially if paired with prior learning.
The second half of this book is full of helpful advice for aging happily and gracefully, and this book would be a great read for anybody over 40. Here are some tidbits I took from it:
1- Create a reverse bucket list. In the first half of life we become obsessed with more and more experiences and accomplishments. As we age, many of these experiences lose their appeal and we need to take a good hard look at what things and experiences will truly bring the most happiness. Cut out the trivial things as time gets shorter, and you appreciate the big things even more.
2- Satisfaction in life equals what you have divided by what you want. We are always obsessed with what we have and what others have. But if that amount pales in comparison to what we think we want, we become miserable. Part of the secret of a happy life is managing the denominator in that equation. What do we really want? Minimizing the things we think we want down to the essentials makes being happy that much easier.
3- Don't fear death. Expose yourself to death and dying to minimize the fears that will only grow as you get older. When time seems unlimited, we waste so much of it, but appreciating the limited time that we all have gives everything more meaning.
4- Cultivate your Aspen grove. Aspen trees grow tall into the sky only because their roots intertwine with those of many other trees. Research has shown that the number one thing that older people can to to make life longer and more rewarding is to cultivate long-term, stable, and meaningful relationships. Aging brings challenges- deaths of loved ones, disease, disabilities, and financial challenges, and the more connected we are to others, the more resilient we can be when those challenges arise.
5- Embrace spirituality in your third act. Childhood is all about learning. Young adulthood is all about growing. And the third act, according to many, is about figuring out who you truly are and why you were here. Cutting out the distractions of the first two acts leaves us with a good sense of what we are all about, and a chance to look for deeper answers to what our purpose has been here on Earth. That's where spirituality comes in.
6- Make weakness into a strength. Many of us are so filled with pride that we shudder at the thought of others seeing us as frail and weak. Growing old inevitably leads to more vulnerability- both physically and mentally. Brooks encourages the readers to embrace both vulnerability and pain as we age. Admitting vulnerability, which we often feel makes us less desirable, often works the opposite way- attracting people and helpers into our lives. And experiencing pain or loss, while always unpleasant, increases our resilience and gives our lives more meaning than if we just lived a happy-go-lucky lifestyle.
7- Change is unavoidable. While change can be uncomfortable while it is happening, many valuable things can be learned during periods of transition. If things always stayed the same, we'd end up learning a lot less in life.
I've seen similar advice in other books about aging, but this one pulls a lot together, especially the stuff about crystallized intelligence. Loss and decline are scary, and many people feel ashamed and confused when it starts to happen. Aging is perfectly natural, and it's our challenge to make the best of it, just like it was our challenge to make the best of our first half of life. The rules and skills are different, but we all have something to learn, even those over age 100. Brooks closes the book with seven powerful words that sum up his philosophy:
Use things
Love people
Worship the divine
February 26, 2022
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book about how to find success and fulfillment in the second wave of life. He talks about the inevitability of decline and how the latter part of life requires a different set of skills, strengths, and a new way of thinking. While this second phase is different, it can also be better and more fulfilling. Instead of chasing worldly goals (things and success), we find meaningful ways to use our acquired wisdom (crystallized intelligence) to serve and counsel. I appreciate that he has courageously made big moves to practice the lessons he is preaching here. Through this process he has found that the forces most responsible for his second-half happiness are his faith, family, friendships, and the work he is doing that is inherently satisfying, meaningful, and serves others. I think these are universal truths that are good to internalize and revisit as we age.
Notes from the book:
-3 forces holding you back:
1-Addicted to work/success (didn’t relate much to this point)
2-Attachment to worldly rewards
-start chipping away (as we age we shouldn’t accumulate more things to represent ourselves, rather strip things away to find ourselves; manage your wants; “He has most who needs least”)
3-Fear of decline
-ponder your death (focus on eulogy virtues over resume virtues; ponder at the beginning of each month what you would want to do with this month and what would you would choose not to worry about if you only had one year to live; contemplating death can make life more meaningful; studies have found cancer survivors are happier than those that have not had health problems because the survivors have stripped away the things that don’t bring them joy and are more grateful for what they have)
-3 things to do to make your second half better than your first
1-Develop your relationships
-cultivate your Aspen grove (each individual Aspen tree is part of a massive root system, redwood roots are intertwined helping the trees stabilize and grow; likewise, our lives are all intertwined; humans are naturally interconnected biologically, emotionally, socially, intellectually, and spiritually; just as the idea of a lone aspen is a misrepresentation of it’s true nature, the lone person is a misrepresentation of our nature as well)
-The secret to enjoying (not just bearing) your decline is to be more conscious of the roots linking you with others. “If I am connected to others in love, my decrease will be more than offset by increases to others, which is to say increases to other facets of my true self.”
-7 predictors of being happy and healthy that we can control: don’t smoke, don’t drink, maintain a healthy body weight, exercise (include daily walks), adaptive coping style, education, and *stable long-term relationships (*single most important trait for happy/healthy life)
-Importance of companionate love…friendship, like each other, encourage each other (as opposed to passionate love), and close friends (need a non-spouse friends network)
2-Start your spiritual journey
-4 Hindu stages of life: 1-learning, 2-career/family, 3-Vanaprastha-purposeful focus on spirituality, faith, and disconnecting from worldly goals, 4-fruits of enlightenment
-Need for faith, spirituality, religion, perspective; requires serious time and effort; make the time for meditation, prayer, reading, and practice every day for your spiritual development
3-Make your weakness your strength
-Human connection through weakness; benefits/sacredness in struggle/adversity
-Do work that you find interesting and meaningful…make your work the reward; A career change doesn’t have to be a straight line (spiral career…trying new things you find interesting, not just trying to get ahead)
Notes from the book:
-3 forces holding you back:
1-Addicted to work/success (didn’t relate much to this point)
2-Attachment to worldly rewards
-start chipping away (as we age we shouldn’t accumulate more things to represent ourselves, rather strip things away to find ourselves; manage your wants; “He has most who needs least”)
3-Fear of decline
-ponder your death (focus on eulogy virtues over resume virtues; ponder at the beginning of each month what you would want to do with this month and what would you would choose not to worry about if you only had one year to live; contemplating death can make life more meaningful; studies have found cancer survivors are happier than those that have not had health problems because the survivors have stripped away the things that don’t bring them joy and are more grateful for what they have)
-3 things to do to make your second half better than your first
1-Develop your relationships
-cultivate your Aspen grove (each individual Aspen tree is part of a massive root system, redwood roots are intertwined helping the trees stabilize and grow; likewise, our lives are all intertwined; humans are naturally interconnected biologically, emotionally, socially, intellectually, and spiritually; just as the idea of a lone aspen is a misrepresentation of it’s true nature, the lone person is a misrepresentation of our nature as well)
-The secret to enjoying (not just bearing) your decline is to be more conscious of the roots linking you with others. “If I am connected to others in love, my decrease will be more than offset by increases to others, which is to say increases to other facets of my true self.”
-7 predictors of being happy and healthy that we can control: don’t smoke, don’t drink, maintain a healthy body weight, exercise (include daily walks), adaptive coping style, education, and *stable long-term relationships (*single most important trait for happy/healthy life)
-Importance of companionate love…friendship, like each other, encourage each other (as opposed to passionate love), and close friends (need a non-spouse friends network)
2-Start your spiritual journey
-4 Hindu stages of life: 1-learning, 2-career/family, 3-Vanaprastha-purposeful focus on spirituality, faith, and disconnecting from worldly goals, 4-fruits of enlightenment
-Need for faith, spirituality, religion, perspective; requires serious time and effort; make the time for meditation, prayer, reading, and practice every day for your spiritual development
3-Make your weakness your strength
-Human connection through weakness; benefits/sacredness in struggle/adversity
-Do work that you find interesting and meaningful…make your work the reward; A career change doesn’t have to be a straight line (spiral career…trying new things you find interesting, not just trying to get ahead)
Read
October 18, 2021FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
The roadmap for finding purpose, meaning, and success as we age, from bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic’s happiness columnist Arthur Brooks.
First of all thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this fabulous book. There was a reason it seemed to immediately get my attention and I’m glad it was made available to me.
The title didn’t initially capture my attention (I’m actually thinking it needs a title change that better captures the essence of this book but I have no suggestions. Strength to Strength doesn’t resonate for me).
Since I retired I have read many books trying to figure out what’s wrong with me why can’t I seem to get my act together following a very successful career.
This book told me a lot. Though I wouldn’t categorize myself as a workaholic I certainly had many of the attributes that negatively impacted my ability to let go of my work life and embrace the next life. My overcommitment to my work did not prepare me for what matters most and I would say got in the way of me embracing how to navigate this new world of retirement.
I really enjoyed this book and maybe it came when I greatly needed to hear what it had to say and support me in better figuring out what I need to do to move forward. I plan on working through some of the recommended exercises.
I appreciated the stories, exercises and research that the author shared. That said there were some parts that didn’t resonate or where to high level to relate to. One of the books he referenced the book Life Is In The transitions and I think it does a better job of clarifying what it feels Iike when you have had a significant change in your life.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who is starting their career, those struggling with balance, those contemplating a change, those nearing retirement and those already retired and still trying to find their place. So basically anyone!
The roadmap for finding purpose, meaning, and success as we age, from bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic’s happiness columnist Arthur Brooks.
First of all thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this fabulous book. There was a reason it seemed to immediately get my attention and I’m glad it was made available to me.
The title didn’t initially capture my attention (I’m actually thinking it needs a title change that better captures the essence of this book but I have no suggestions. Strength to Strength doesn’t resonate for me).
Since I retired I have read many books trying to figure out what’s wrong with me why can’t I seem to get my act together following a very successful career.
This book told me a lot. Though I wouldn’t categorize myself as a workaholic I certainly had many of the attributes that negatively impacted my ability to let go of my work life and embrace the next life. My overcommitment to my work did not prepare me for what matters most and I would say got in the way of me embracing how to navigate this new world of retirement.
I really enjoyed this book and maybe it came when I greatly needed to hear what it had to say and support me in better figuring out what I need to do to move forward. I plan on working through some of the recommended exercises.
I appreciated the stories, exercises and research that the author shared. That said there were some parts that didn’t resonate or where to high level to relate to. One of the books he referenced the book Life Is In The transitions and I think it does a better job of clarifying what it feels Iike when you have had a significant change in your life.
I would definitely recommend to anyone who is starting their career, those struggling with balance, those contemplating a change, those nearing retirement and those already retired and still trying to find their place. So basically anyone!
November 21, 2022
2.5
Started strong, then wilted. Didn't really inspire like I hoped.
Started strong, then wilted. Didn't really inspire like I hoped.
June 6, 2022
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
I was disappointed in this book. The marketing and back cover made me think it would be about how to go from professional success in the first half of your life to becoming successful in the second half of your life, whether professionally or personally.
The first two thirds of the book was spent convincing the reader that for the most part, a person's professional skills will decline after a certain age and they will never be able to achieve at a high level after that point. There are LOTS of stories and anecdotes to prove this point. Then only a few chapters at the end outline in a vague way how to achieve happiness and a sense of purpose in the latter part of your life.
I thought the book would be more practical instead of simply trying to prove a point. If you agree with the author's viewpoint within the first few chapters, then you're simply reading a rehash of those points over and over and it can be a bit boring.
I guess if you'd like to learn why the author believes that professional skills decline with age and how it's better to become a teacher at a certain point of your life and mentor younger people than try to make any creative or innovative breakthroughs, you might enjoy reading this book.
I was disappointed in this book. The marketing and back cover made me think it would be about how to go from professional success in the first half of your life to becoming successful in the second half of your life, whether professionally or personally.
The first two thirds of the book was spent convincing the reader that for the most part, a person's professional skills will decline after a certain age and they will never be able to achieve at a high level after that point. There are LOTS of stories and anecdotes to prove this point. Then only a few chapters at the end outline in a vague way how to achieve happiness and a sense of purpose in the latter part of your life.
I thought the book would be more practical instead of simply trying to prove a point. If you agree with the author's viewpoint within the first few chapters, then you're simply reading a rehash of those points over and over and it can be a bit boring.
I guess if you'd like to learn why the author believes that professional skills decline with age and how it's better to become a teacher at a certain point of your life and mentor younger people than try to make any creative or innovative breakthroughs, you might enjoy reading this book.
May 17, 2022
I picked up this book because I was interested in Brooks' theory about making the leap from the first curve of our lives to the second - from a career that relies on "fluid intelligence" to one that relies on "crystallized intelligence" as he puts it or the wisdom learned from the first curve. His primary example of this is that he moved from the corporate world to teaching (where he can use his wisdom to support those on their first curve). But that's as far as he gets. He doesn't really develop that idea. He goes on to other recommendations for aging which, as others have written already, are nothing new but still worth a reminder.
And as an educator, I'm clearly not Brooks' audience. He seems to be speaking to members of the corporate elite who are beginning to realize they cannot keep up the craziness of their careers and are just beginning to reflect on how they want to age and what they believe is important in life.
And as an educator, I'm clearly not Brooks' audience. He seems to be speaking to members of the corporate elite who are beginning to realize they cannot keep up the craziness of their careers and are just beginning to reflect on how they want to age and what they believe is important in life.
March 5, 2022
This is a book written for “strivers”—folks that Brooks defines as being success-driven people who define themselves by their jobs at the expense of other parts of their lives. So, basically, it’s a book for privileged white (mostly) men (mostly) seeking to find meaning in the second half of life. That doesn’t mean the book is devoid of good advice (use things, love people, worship the divine) but it’s best audience is relatively narrow.
April 28, 2022
This book is full of platitudes and banalities. I had a feeling of deja vu while reading it and then realized I had in fact read it before and forgotten that since it was not memorable the first time around. Note to self: do not re-read this book a third time. The main thing that bugs me about this book is that it reeks of rich white male entitlement.
Shelved as 'didnt-finish'
February 17, 2022This book did not speak to me at all. I am not trying to reinvent myself. I am retired …. And happily so.
Some of the anecdotes in the first part of the book were interesting. But not relevant to me.
Some of the anecdotes in the first part of the book were interesting. But not relevant to me.
March 4, 2022
This is so obviously rich white man foolishness — if you have a job which pays you enough to have these problems, by all means spend your later years worshipping a god that doesn’t exist (his argument for worshipping god is that smart people have believed in God and that it will make you happy). If it makes you more interested in helping society, great. That would be quite lovely. That is not my experience with what rich white men do with their later years.
It is well written and I agree that people would be happier if they had a sense of purpose as they age.
It is well written and I agree that people would be happier if they had a sense of purpose as they age.
March 8, 2022
This was okay, but it was much more of his opinion than actual studies. Most of what he says is common sense and helpful, but some of the sections go a bit off the rails. He has a very specific vision of what the good life is. The part about Anthony Bourdain was cringe-worthy, and his section on Atheism uses the strawman fallacy.
June 25, 2022
I liked it and was pretty good read. Nothing really earth shattering. Nice amount of books around second career / midlife crisis. This is a good one. Lots of referring to other people.
August 2, 2022
Encouraging, positive, and helpful. I listened to the audiobook and hearing the author himself read the book added nuance and inflection I might have missed by reading.
January 25, 2024
I don't consider myself in his target audience since I'm not a "striver" who's "addicted to success". But there is still a lot of wisdom in this book concerning the transition into the second half of life.
March 24, 2022
Some interesting and thought-provoking ideas in this book. Not sure how much it will change my direction but definitely got me thinking, which is worth an extra star. A solid 4-star read for me.
March 1, 2022
Means well, but overly contrived, tedious, a little bigoted
Means well, but overly contrived, tedious, feels a little bigoted. He definitely walks a path and the book is meant, in good part, to cement the path.
Means well, but overly contrived, tedious, feels a little bigoted. He definitely walks a path and the book is meant, in good part, to cement the path.
February 7, 2023
Very negative at the beginning and hard to get past. Not very enjoyable for me. Inside jacket was very enticing but didn't find the excitement in the book.
Decided to give book a second chance. Some places were repetitive and the end gave suggestions but they felt weak. I was looking for more.
Decided to give book a second chance. Some places were repetitive and the end gave suggestions but they felt weak. I was looking for more.
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