The middle period of our lives is often rendered either as a joke or a cautionary tale. One need not look far to find countless “over the hill” gags and cards. Yet, for many of us, midlife can be the most rewarding—and the most challenging—part of our lives to date.
The question is: What do we do when we find ourselves asking, “What’s next?” That’s where these eight books come in, all tackling the challenges, the joys, and the choices of midlife with wit, wisdom, and useful advice for those who may be “over the hill” but aren’t ready to stop climbing.
Why We Can't Sleep
Bestselling author Ada Calhoun seemed to have it all, so when she found herself in the midst of a midlife crisis, she looked around and saw countless other Gen X women suffering in the same way. What was the cause? In this “useful resource for people struggling to find balance in their personal and professional lives” (Library Journal), she examines everything from housing costs and HR trends to divorce data to provide a look at why a generation feels like it’s teetering on the abyss—and how to step back.
You Gotta Have Girlfriends
Through a combination of anecdotes, personal observations, and research, beloved author Suzanne Braun Levine “takes us beyond the frontier of our own expectations and into a new and hope-filled stage of life” (Gloria Steinem). She demonstrates that the post-50 version of “an apple a day” is “nurture your friendships” in this one-of-a-kind book about the importance of friendship—especially for women over 50, who can actually improve their health, age better, and keep their minds sharper by sharing their joys and sorrows with their best friends. What could be better than that?
Just When You're Comfortable in Your Own Skin, It Starts to Sag
As seen on Oprah, this clever and witty guidebook to aging gracefully comes from the bestselling duo of Amy Nobile and Trisha Ashworth, the founders of ASH + AMES, curators of female designers from around the world. In these pages, they walk readers through everything from redefining what beauty means after 40 to navigating midlife relationships and caring for yourself while also caring for children and aging parents. In short, all the challenges that women face as they enter midlife are laid out in a voice that sounds like an old friend.
The Marriage Benefit
No one ties the knot with the intention of not staying together forever, but sometimes things just don’t work out like we planned. However, psychotherapist Mark O’Connell suggests that staying together might have more benefits than we ever realized in this eye-opening book. O’Connell takes readers behind the scenes of a marriage counselor to show that their problems may be a lot more common than they think—and that the solution might also be closer than they could have imagined. By looking at the mental, social, physical, and emotional benefits of long-term commitments, The Marriage Benefit shows why it may be worth it to stay together, even when the going gets tough.
Fit After 40
Personal fitness coach Don Nava shows how to turn a midlife crisis into an opportunity in this indispensable guide for getting (and staying) in shape after you hit the big 4-0. Being fit isn’t just about looking better or feeling better, it’s also a great way to safeguard your health as you get older. And with its unique and easy-to-follow components, his program will have anyone looking good and feeling great, even if right now you feel like you’d much rather just sink into the couch for a while.
Second Journey
When we see the phrase “coming of age,” it usually refers to adolescence and young adulthood. But in this “fulfilling chronicle” (Philadelphia Inquirer), Joan Anderson argues for a second coming of age in midlife, as people “need time and space to reinvent themselves” (Publishers Weekly), look around at where life has taken them, and ask, “Now what?” Combining memoir and guidebook, this new volume from the bestselling author of A Year by the Sea is a coming of age story for those of us who are already grown up but still want more.
Life Reimagined
Richard J. Leider was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Top 5” executive coaches, while Alan M. Webber is the cofounding editor of Fast Company magazine. Their business acumen may be legendary, and in Life Reimagined, they bring those same skills to every other aspect of life, arguing that each of us is an “experiment of one,” and that there’s no right or wrong way to get older—but there are ways that may work better for you. As you attempt to navigate a period of life that is fraught with innumerable changes, this book will be your roadmap to a new future.
Waking Up in Winter
Bestselling author Cheryl Richardson was already an internationally recognized life coach when she found that her own life was no longer working the way she had imagined. Through a combination of memoir and intimate journal entries, she catalogues her own journey through her changing life, as she questions everything from her marriage to her friendships to her career, and finds what really matters beneath it all. “Cheryl’s unwavering wisdom and clarity throughout is beguiling and inspiring,” raves Alanis Morissette of this “powerful and brave” book.
The Third Chapter
Professor of education and renowned sociologist Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot sets out to chronicle the quarter-century between the day we turn 50 and our 75th birthday in this “compassionate rendering of the challenges of entering uncharted post-career years” (Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of Confidence) which suggest that, contrary to popular belief, this period may be one of the richest, most transformative, and most generative parts of our life. Through the stories of several people over 50, she chronicles a time when “our courage gives us hope” as our lives change and we find ways to change with them—for the better.
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