The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk, and Adventure in the 25 Years After 50

The book was a very enjoyable read and was very insightful into the difficult but exciting changes that are available to us in life as we grow older. Going through the process is difficult but I am a firm believer that if you confront your issues ,we all come through it stronger and more vibrant. All journeys take time. Patience w/yourself and those you love ensures we all get there. A Good read!! Helpful to see how other people meet their challenges.Enjoy the ride!!

In an era when humans are living longer and healthier lives, this book sheds new light on the ramifications of this positive development in the human evolution. The author declares: "We must develop a compelling vision of late life, one that does not assume a trajectory of decline after fifty but recognizes this as a time of potential change, growth and new learning, a time when our courage gives us hope." To demonstrate this she has written real life stories of 40 Americans. These stories reveal how people find purpose, meaning and ways to give back to the world by crossing the boundaries of place, discipline, race, class, generation, boundaries between art and science, boundaries between work and play. The stories also explain how the education, experience, skills and networks gained in the second chapter can be used to redefine life after 50, in refreshingly new ways. The stories are polished with eloquence and the structure of the content is crafted with such beautiful coherence, that it is hard to put the book down. Like nature, this book tells you that humans too have an endless capacity for change and growth. Hence instead of declining after 50, it can be "the most transformative and generative time in our lives." This book inspires the reader to create a vision of his/her third chapter. A great book to read not just for people over 50 but for adults even in their second chapter, for its never too early to plan. All in all, a book that is absolutely delightful to read. Ratna

Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, a professor of sociology at Harvard, has written about how we can reinvent ourselves after 50. Working on the premise that the years between 50 and 75 are "neither young, nor old," she interviewed men and women across the United States who were willing to risk significant change in the Third Chapter of their lives. I like the concept of the third chapter because it is not an end point. We might go on to a fourth chapter and beyond. Those interviewed often retrieved what they had abandoned earlier in their adult lives or began to live their discarded dreams. The author says, "...we are beginning to redefine our views about the casualties and opportunities of aging; we are challenging cultural definitions of strength, maturity, power and sexiness." The Third Chapter is made easier because of the life experience and the wisdom gleaned from past failures, which we bring to our new endeavors. Those who take this step want to be recognized for who they are, not just what they do. Lawrence-Lightfoot reminds us that often the leap into a new being is precipitated by a challenging event in our lives. Some of those interviewed became playwrights, some cultivated their singing voices; some became painters. Some chose service such as working with non-profit organizations. Rarely was it an easy transition. It always took work, reflection and integration. Often, this challenge requires one to work on life review and life repair, along with continuing to grow and learn, to make a difference. Their ideals become goals towards which to strive. The joy of reconciling with the past and bringing what is valuable forward, leads to one becoming more compassionate: "The new learning does not mean losing touch with life on the other side of the border." Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot writes eloquently, integrating stories from numerous interviews and drawing pithy conclusions. The Third Chapter is full of graceful phrases and finely tuned passages. Reading it is a learning experience. by Judith Helburn for Story Circle Book Reviews reviewing books by, for, and about women

I'm impressed with this book and the true life stories it contains. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the author might have chosen to interview more regular folks. However, the book is an excellent, inspirational read. There is no doubt that the "over fifties" are pioneers in an age of increasing longevity and The Third Chapter offers the reader insight and choices for making the next years, the best years. Pamela D. Blair, author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Midlife and Beyond