The Creative Age

by Cohen, Gene D.

• ISBN13: 9780380976843
• ISBN10: 0380976846
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-17
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

For thousands of years men and women have risked their lives and spent their fortunes in a futile quest for eternal youth. In this groundbreaking book, world-renowned psychiatrist and researcher Gene D. Cohen takes us to the wellspring of genuine human vitality, the unique creative power generated by age and experience, and shows us how to tap this inner source to enrich, even transform our lives through middle age and beyond. A pioneering physician and respected international authority on aging and creativity, Dr. Cohen weaves history, scientific research, inspiring true-life stories, and his own fresh insights to journey into the previously uncharted territory of human potential in the "second half" of life.The Creative Age.The over-thirty crowd was once subject to ridicule by younger people, and anyone past age fifty was definitely "over the hill." But in a single generation, the view of life after fifty has changed dramatically. Today society is shaped by unprecedented growth in the number of people over fifty, shifting patterns of opportunity and responsibility at work and at home, and advances in healthcare that offer the promise of longer and more active lives. In this fascinating, life-affirming book, Dr. Cohen debunks harmful myths about aging and illuminates the biological and emotional foundations of creative thought and expression. He offers compelling evidence that the unique combination of age, experience, and creativity can produce exciting i

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(9)
The Flames of Creativity	9	(30)
Biology and Mystery: The Inside Story of Creativity and Aging	39	(28)
Transition and Transformation: Creativity Across Our Changing Inner Landscape	67	(48)
The ``When'' of Creativity: Opportunities That Change with Age	115	(22)
Creative Growth and Expression in the Context of Relationship	137	(36)
Creativity in Response to Adversity	173	(28)
Creativity and Community: Bridging the Generations	201	(32)
Identity and Autobiography: Life as a Work in Progress	233	(26)
Creativity in Everyday Life: Letting It Start with You	259	(100)
Part I: Everyday Activities	259	(24)
Part II: Special Projects	283	(16)
Conclusion: Toward the Future	299	(12)
Appendices
A: Why Do We Age? Biology's Creative Mystery	311	(10)
B: Historical Quests to Reverse the Effects of Aging	321	(18)
C: Creating an Autobiography: My Personal Approach	339	(10)
D: Internet and Other Resources	349	(10)
Bibliography	359	(8)
Index	367