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Audiobooks > Social Science >  Sociology > In Our Prime: The Invention of Middle Age
In Our Prime: The Invention of Middle Age Audiobook, by Patricia Cohen Play Audiobook Sample

In Our Prime: The Invention of Middle Age Audiobook

By: Patricia Cohen
In Our Prime: The Invention of Middle Age Audiobook, by Patricia Cohen Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: Pam Ward Publisher: Tantor Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 6.83 hours at 1.5x Speed 5.13 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: January 2012 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9781452676203
2.96953846153846 out of 52.96953846153846 out of 52.96953846153846 out of 52.96953846153846 out of 52.96953846153846 out of 5 (2.97) - 65 listener ratings
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Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

16

Longest Chapter Length:

55:08 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

10:07 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

38:40 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

1

Publisher Description

From 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.

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"So the book really is about the "invention" part. The author is really railing against the bummer labels that happen to people in middle age. It is a dense, but fun read."

— Jen (4 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

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

    — Kirkus

  • “This comprehensive and entertaining social history highlights the possibilities of the middle years and shows how middle age reflects the attitudes and customs of each generation that passes through it.”

    — Publishers Weekly

  • “Pam Ward narrates with tones of playfulness and a bit of cynicism…Her voice reflects Cohen’s irritation with employers and marketers who value the younger generation.”

    — AudioFile

  • “This is an illuminating social history for students, social scientists, and all those who wonder whether they are middle-aged.”

    — Library Journal

  • “A cool, well-documented account that puts the concept of middle age into historical context.”

    — Kirkus Reviews

In Our Prime Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 2.625 out of 52.625 out of 52.625 out of 52.625 out of 52.625 out of 5 (2.63)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 1
3 Stars: 4
2 Stars: 2
1 Stars: 1
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
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Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
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Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Interesting that the concept of middle age is somewhat of a media campaign. Like many non fiction books, I felt like it would have been better, shorter. "

    — Jen, 9/12/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Overall the idea is good. I found the beginning a bit slow and then as she talked about the science and research it became more interesting and then my interest waned with the marketing/television bit. I feel that it did not really enlighten me on any level. "

    — Sharon, 7/26/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Wasen`t really into it. It didn`t teach me anything new. "

    — Blackieblack, 6/26/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I liked the idea behind this book, but it dragged at times because it seemed that the author needed to give (too) many examples for each idea. I'm glad I read it, because it made me think about the way that our society views middle age and especially the middle-aged body. "

    — Ashlie, 4/19/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I enjoyed this enormously and recommend it to anyone anywhere near middle age. "

    — Sarah, 11/9/2012
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " Intro was interesting. Couldn't get through much more. "

    — Tracy, 6/9/2012
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Reads like a textbook. Some part very slow; other parts humorous.. "

    — Kathy, 5/26/2012
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " This book is somewhat entertaining, and slightly educational. Not much new in this book, and certainly nothing that you couldn't read about in many other books. Pretty much a big yawn. "

    — David, 3/23/2012

About Patricia Cohen

Patricia Cohen is a New York Times who covers culture and ideas. She has also worked at Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, and New York Newsday. Cohen’s work has been included in the writing textbook The Longman Writer, and she is a contributor to the four-volume series The New York Times Guide to the Arts of the 20th Century.

About Pam Ward

Pam Ward, an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator, found her true calling reading books for the blind and physically handicapped for the Library of Congress’ Talking Books program. The fact that she can work with Blackstone Audio from the beauty of the mountains of Southern Oregon is an unexpected bonus.