In Our Prime
Authors: Patricia Cohen
More Praise for
In Our Prime
New York Times Book Review
Editors' Choice
“In this brilliant, wide-ranging book . . . one persistent theme is that the very definition of middle age, or midlife, is a moving target. . . . A story packed with surprising twists, masterfully told . . . Cohen's lively prose and thoughtful insights make this a joy to read.”
âKate Tuttle,
The Boston Globe
“A fascinating biography of the idea of middle age . . . Solidly researched.”
âGail Sheehy, bestselling author of
Passages,
for
The New York Times
“Lucid, straightforward, and conversational . . . A thoroughâand thoroughly fascinatingâcultural history of aging.”
âJulia Keller,
Chicago Tribune
“With lively writing, astute observations, and extensive research, this cultural history looks well beyond cougars and Botox.”
âKaren Holt, Oprah.com
“A lively, well-researched chronicle of the social and scientific forces that brought midlife America to its current befuddled state.”
âLaura Shapiro,
The New York Times Book Review
“
In Our Prime
is a fascinating study. . . . 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.”
âJerry Harkavy, Associated Press
“Witty and engaging . . . this comprehensive and entertaining social history highlights the possibilities of the middle yearsâand shows how middle age reflects the attitudes and customs of each generation that passes through it.”
âPublishers Weekly
“A thoroughly engaging cultural history.”
âChristine Sismondo,
Toronto Star
“A comprehensive look at middle age through the eyes of scientists, historians, psychologists, medical doctors, marketers, and many more.”
âJulie Carl,
Winnipeg Free Press
“
In Our Prime
is a fascinating biography of the âidea of middle age' in American society. . . . Comprehensively researched . . . A thoughtful inquiry.”
âTom Lavoie,
Shelf Awareness
“A cool, well-documented account that puts the concept of middle age into historical context.”
âKirkus Reviews
“Patricia Cohen creates a delightful concoction of social history, up-to-date social science, and first-rate journalism.
In Our Prime
is a compelling and well-documented account of why midlife has become such a prominent stage of life. The book is a real treat and is a wonderful source for courses in gerontology and more broadly the life course.”
âFrank Furstenberg, professor of sociology at the
University of Pennsylvania
“
In Our Prime
is a wonderful resource for students of all ages interested in understanding what it means to be middle-aged. Patricia Cohen's book should be required reading for everyone wanting to know the real deal about midlife.”
âMargie E. Lachman, Fierman Professor of Psychology and director of the Lifespan Initiative on Healthy Aging at Brandeis University and editor of the
Handbook of Midlife Development
“In this extraordinary, comprehensive book about middle age Patricia Cohen provides us with a wise and unique appraisal of recent scientific research on human development during midlife, and describes how it has dealt a death blow to false myths about the midlife crisis and other stages of development. This is just one of the many stories she includes in her review of the continuing changes in ideas regarding middle age during the past 150 years.”
âOrville Gilbert Brim Jr., former director of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development and former president of the Russell Sage Foundation
“An informative and at times surprising biography of middle age.”
âGlenn C. Altschuler, professor of American studies and vice president for University Relations at Cornell University
“The notion that middle age is essentially a cultural construction is not one that will be surprising to historians. But
New York Times
journalist Patricia Cohen makes this case with breadth and verve. . . .
In Our Prime
is a serious and useful survey in the subject likely to remain a standard of its kind for some time to come.”
âJim Cullen, George Mason University's
History News Network
“Before allowing yourself another distressing look in the mirror, I recommend Patricia Cohen's magisterial new book on the social construction of middle age. Cohen moves seamlessly from the origins of the concept to the newest scientific findings, all the while sustaining a fascinating narrative.”
âJuliet Schor, author of
Born to Buy: The Commercialized
Child and the New Consumer Culture
and
True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans Are Creating a Time-Rich, Ecologically Light, Small-Scale, High-Satisfaction Economy
“With intelligence and wit, Patricia Cohen has written a wonderfully readable book that details the untold history of middle age and its surprising journey through the popular culture and the research lab. A brilliant analyst and keen observer, she connects the story of middle age to the story of America's emergence into the modern world. Anyone who is, has been, or will be middle-aged will want to read this book.”
âBarbara Strauch, author of
The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain
and science editor at
The New York Times
“Patricia Cohen has written the liberation anthem of middle age. She shows us that there is nothing inevitable about spending middle age in the panicked pursuit of youth; we do it because the ad men tell us to. It is a cultural fiction that middle age need be approached with dread. In this carefully researched and skillfully told history of middle age in America, Cohen shows us that our middle years can be years of prestige, autonomy, and confidenceâthe best years of our lives.”
âTina Rosenberg, Pulitzer Prizeâwinning author of
Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World
“Patricia Cohen deftly examines the shifting definitions of middle age. She demonstrates how TV, movies, and advertising have shaped us. Most intriguing of all is Cohen's critical assessment of our huge self-help industry and its ability to manipulate midlife anxiety.
In Our Prime
is an important book, fascinating, gorgeously researched, and extremely readable.”
âPatricia Bosworth, author of
Jane Fonda:
The Private Life of a Public Woman
Advance Praise for
In Our Prime
“With intelligence and wit, Patricia Cohen has written a wonderfully readable book that details the untold history of middle age and its surprising journey through the popular culture and the research lab. A brilliant analyst and keen observer, she connects the story of middle age to the story of America's emergence into the modern world, bringing to life the filmmakers and admen, scientists and hucksters who have shaped our understanding and experience of the middle years.”
âBarbara Strauch, author of
The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain
“In this extraordinary, comprehensive book about middle age, Patricia Cohen provides us with a wise and unique appraisal of recent scientific research on human development during midlife and describes how it has dealt a deathblow to false myths about the midlife crisis.”
âOrville Gilbert Brim Jr., former director of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development
“Patricia Cohen has written the liberation anthem of middle age. She shows us that there is nothing inevitable about spending middle age in the panicked pursuit of youth; we do it because the admen tell us to. It is a cultural fiction that middle age need be approached with dread. In this carefully researched and skillfully told history of middle age in America, Cohen shows us that our middle years can be years of prestige, autonomy, and confidenceâthe best years of our lives.”
âTina Rosenberg, author of
Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World
“Before allowing yourself another distressing look in the mirror, I recommend Patricia Cohen's magisterial new book on the social construction of middle age. Cohen moves seamlessly from the origins of the concept to the newest scientific findings, all the while sustaining a fascinating narrative.”
âJuliet B. Schor, author of
Born to Buy
and
True Wealth: How and Why Millions of Americans Are Creating a Time-Rich,
Ecologically Light, Small-Scale, High-Satisfaction Economy
“Patricia Cohen deftly examines the shifting definitions of middle age. She demonstrates how TV, movies, and advertising have shaped us. Most intriguing of all is Cohen's critical assessment of our huge self-help industry and its ability to manipulate midlife anxiety.
In Our Prime
is an important book, fascinating, gorgeously researched, and extremely readable.”
âPatricia Bosworth, author of
Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman
F
rom the
New York Times
reporter whose beat is culture and ideas comes a fascinating, revelatory, and timely social history of the concept of middle age.
For the first time ever, the middle-aged make up the biggest, richest, and most influential segment of the country, yet the history of middle age has remained largely untold. This important and immensely readable book finally fills the gap.
In Our Prime
is a biography of the idea of middle age from its invention in the late nineteenth century to its current place at the center of American society, where it shapes the way we view our families, our professional obligations, and our inner lives.
Patricia Cohen ranges over the entire landscape of midlife, exploring how its biological, psychological, and social definitions have shifted from one generation to the next. Middle age has been a symbol both of decline and of power and wealth. Explaining why, Cohen takes readers from early-twentieth-century factories that refused to hire middle-aged men to twenty-first-century high-tech laboratories where researchers are currently conducting cutting-edge experiments on the middle-aged brain and body.
P
ATRICIA
C
OHEN
has been a
New York Times
reporter for thirteen years. She has also worked at
The Washington Post
and
Rolling Stone
. Her stories have led to numerous television and radio appearances. She is also a regular participant in the “TimesTalks” series and
New York Times
podcasts.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
⢠THE SOURCE FOR READING GROUPS â¢
JACKET DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPH BY REX BONOMELLI
COPYRIGHT © 2012 SIMON & SCHUSTER
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