David Bainbridge is a vet with a particular interest in evolutionary zoology - and he has just turned forty. As well as the usual concerns about greying hair, failing eyesight and goldfish levels of forgetfulness, he finds himself pondering some bigger questions: have I come to the end of my productive life as a human being? And what I am now for? By looking afresh at the latest research from the fields of anthropology, neuroscience, psychology, and reproductive biology, it seems that the answers are surprisingly, reassuringly encouraging. In clear, engaging and amiable prose, Bainbridge explains the science behind the physical, mental and emotional changes men and women experience between the ages of 40 and 60, and reveals the evolutionary - and personal - benefits of middle age, which is unique to human beings and helps to explain the extraordinary success of our species. Middle Age will change the way you think about mid-life, and help turn the 'crisis' into a cause for celebration.
Papildus informācija
A vet turns forty and discovers sound - and surprising - zoological evidence that he's about to experience the best years of his life
| Introduction: A New Story of Middle Age |
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Part I From Savanna to Suburbia: Why middle age has never been about growing old |
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1 What makes middle-aged people? |
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2 What breaks middle-aged people? |
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22 | (15) |
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3 Are people really meant to die at forty? |
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37 | (11) |
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4 Why is middle age so important? (A first attempt at an answer) |
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48 | (13) |
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5 Saggy? Wrinkly? Grey? Why? |
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61 | (15) |
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6 Middle-aged spread is normal, isn't it? |
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76 | (15) |
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Part II Still Crazy After All These Years: The triumph of the middle-aged mind |
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91 | (88) |
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7 Over the hill or prime of life? |
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93 | (17) |
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8 Why does time speed up as you get older? |
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110 | (16) |
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9 Is your mind `complete' by the time you're forty? |
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126 | (13) |
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10 Do middle-aged people really get sadder? |
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139 | (15) |
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11 Is the middle-aged mind fragile? |
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154 | (12) |
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12 So... what is the secret of a flourishing middle-aged mind? |
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166 | (13) |
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Part III Older and Bolder: Romance, love, sex, babies and life after forty |
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179 | (100) |
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13 The end of sex? (An introduction) |
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181 | (14) |
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14 Why does women's reproduction just `switch off'? |
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195 | (20) |
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215 | (17) |
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16 Should middle-aged people have babies? |
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232 | (14) |
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17 Is the `empty-nest syndrome' real? |
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246 | (12) |
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18 Will you still love me tomorrow? |
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258 | (21) |
| Conclusion: The View from the Summit |
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279 | (5) |
| About the Author |
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284 | (1) |
| Acknowledgements |
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285 | (1) |
| Selected Bibliography |
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286 | (23) |
| Index |
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309 | |
DAVID BAINBRIDGE was trained in veterinary surgery and zoology at Cambridge University, where he now teaches Clinical Veterinary Anatomy. He is the author of four previous books: on pregnancy, on the biology of sex and sexuality, on the brain, and most recently Teenagers (Portobello, 2009).www.davidbainbridge.org
