you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone
|
At the outset I must declare that I am an over 50 year old male who has never had the slightest desire to own a Corvette, red or otherwise and who has been fortunate, thus far not to do any of the things normally considered to be aspects of a mid life crisis.
Being British, however, one is just supposed to bite the upper lip and proceed through life like one of the majestic ships in Her Majesty's Royal Navy regardless of what is thrown at you. In plain English, we are not taught about such things, we are ignorant and some things are better that way.
Having said that I have been going through some changes in my life and the fact that I grew my hair long again, for the first time in a decade and a half brought forth a slew of comments about me going through a mid-life crisis with the result Jim Conway's book came first and one of the things that became very clear was that some of the things that I was experiencing certainly fitted the template of mid-life crisis but also could be explained by depression or even simply burn out. As I proceeded to work through the book I was struck by the honesty of the author and his faith in his religion. The use of real life examples certainly illuminated the things he was saying and I could see the sense of his view. It was also clear to me that he has a tendency to be repetitive and reiterated the same things in slightly different contexts when a shorter book would have been preferred.
Also it became increasingly clear that from a personal perspective I was NOT undergoing a mid-lifer but was more frustrated at a lack of progress and development in the large corporate organisation that I currently work for. Similarly as a relatively highly educated individual my skills and talents are being unrecognised and wasted in the face of the requirement for unquestioned obedience.
I continued with the book until the end but it was superfluous by that stage.
In summary I would say that there is a need for books of this ilk. I would think that many people around forty will face questions that they had not encountered before or in a long time. Those people need answers which they will not get from their best friends or families and these books can help. I learned however, that there is a greater need to understand what is euphemistically called 'adult development' and that there are things that we should all do to help ourselves - the same old hoary chestnuts, eat right, exercise and maintain a good social network being the main ones.
This book ertainly helped me. It helped me to reassure myself that I was not having a belated mid-life crisis. It helped me to seek out other sorts of information. It helped me be grateful that I am the person I am and able to contribute in the small ways that I do and it helped me to see that while having some sort of religious belief is not essential to get through life, some sort of principles are
|
|
middle aged? confused? you need this book!
|
|
I am a 37yr old male, and have been going through the worst period of my life to date. Lost my beliefs in everything around me that was once so stable. Confusion, panic, anxiety, depression. If this is you or someone close to you, please buy this book it will answer so many of your fears, and put things into perspective. It will not directly answer your confusion but will provide you with enough knowlage to address all of the issues that are causing it and open your eyes to the fact that you are not alone on this journey, It is written by a man with a strong religious background but if you are not religious don't let this put you off. its full of information that you need and its definately not a sermon.
|
|
|
excellent and very helpful
|
|
I had great hesitation about buying this book, because of the "Christian viewpoint" that other reviewers have mentioned; I am not at all religious, and was afraid that the book would just be a superficial sermon. However, the author clearly has an indepth understanding of the suffering men in mid life crises go through, and gives concrete, helpful advice. Indeed, the Christian -- I would simply say religious -- philosophy of the author adds a lot of depth to the book. The book is the best I have found so far on this subject, and I would highly recommend it.
|
|
|
Insightful, informative and well written
|
|
What a lifeline! A book that gives wonderful insight and direction for understanding and dealing with this painful reality. Also discusses women's midlife stress, and gives you options to dig in and have a truly healthy marriage. In addition, the Christian perspective makes the book even richer,and not by simply applying the band-aid, "God can fix anything." If you might be interested in a closer relationship with God, your husband, and even yourself, consider this book.
|
|
Just what I needed at such a CRUCIAL time in my marriage!
|
|
Although the book was written for thousands to read, I felt all the advice was directed entirely toward me and my situation. Very comforting to have the comments come from someone who's been there and from a Christian perspective, as well. I've already recommended the book to at least three other couples facing problems in their marriage.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada