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Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom Audiobook
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Mary Catherine Bateson sees aging today as an "improvisational art form calling for imagination and willingness to learn," and in this ardent, affirming study, she relates the experiences of men and women—herself included—who, upon entering this second adulthood, have found new meaning and new ways to contribute, composing their lives in new patterns.
Among the people Bateson engages in open-ended, in-depth conversations are a retired Maine boatyard worker who has become a silversmith and maker of fine jewelry; an African American woman who explores the importance of grandmothering; two gay men finding contentment in mutual caring; the retired dean of a cathedral in New York City who exemplifies how a multiplicity of interests and connections lead to deeper unity; and Jane Fonda, who shares her ways of dealing with change and spiritual growth.
Here is a book that presents each of us—at any age—with an exhilarating challenge to think about and approach our later lives with the full force of imagination, curiosity, and enthusiasm. At the same time, it speaks to us as members of a larger society concerned about the world that our children and grandchildren, born and not yet born, will inherit. "We live longer," she says, "but we think shorter." As adults find themselves entering Adulthood II, making the choices that will affirm and complete the meaning of the lives they have lived, they can play a key role, contributing their perspectives and their experience of adapting to change. In our day, wisdom is no longer associated with withdrawal and passivity but with engagement with others and the contribution that Bateson calls "active wisdom."
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"Bateson has drawn on a life trajectory, replete with varied experiences and has composed an exquisite and wonderfully readable book about composing a further life, one that is entering its richest phase. Whether life begins at thirty, fifty or eighty, the wisdom she conveys will make each of the reader's days a fuller one."
— Harvey Cox
Composing a Further Life Listener Reviews
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" Alas, I found this book to be quite boring. I love the idea of "composing a life," but I think it is the writing style that puts me off. If I has the opportunity to chat in person with the author, I bet I'd enjoy that a lot more. "
— Zoe, 7/14/2012 -
" Disappointed. Did not grow much past the last book "
— Carol, 4/16/2012 -
" Alas, I found this book to be quite boring. I love the idea of "composing a life," but I think it is the writing style that puts me off. If I has the opportunity to chat in person with the author, I bet I'd enjoy that a lot more. "
— Zoe, 3/24/2011 -
" Disappointed. Did not grow much past the last book "
— Carol, 11/18/2010
About Mary Catherine Bateson
Mary Catherine Bateson was the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of anthropology and English at George Mason University from 1987 to 2002. She is a visiting scholar at the Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College and, until recently, was president of the Institute of Intercultural Studies in New York City. She is the author of Composing a Life; With a Daughter’s Eye: A Memoir of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson; Peripheral Visions: Learning Along the Way; Full Circles, Overlapping Lives: Culture and Generation in Transition; and Willing to Learn: Passages of Personal Discovery. She resides in Hancock, New Hampshire.
About Sevanne Kassarjian
Sevanne Kassarjian is a professional actress and has performed lead roles on ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS, as well as on numerous New York and regional stages across the country. She has taught acting and improvisation and partnered with her mother, Mary Catherine Bateson, to create and deliver workshops that marry the tools of cultural anthropology with techniques from acting and improvisation. Kassarjian has narrated her mother’s book Peripheral Visions: Learning Along the Way, among others.