Philosophical wisdom and practical advice for overcoming the problems of middle age How can you reconcile yourself with the lives you will never lead, with possibilities foreclosed, and with nostalgia for lost youth? How can you accept the failings of the past, the sense of futility in the tasks that consume the present, and the prospect of death that blights the future? In this self-help book with a difference, Kieran Setiya confronts the inevitable challenges of adulthood and middle age, showing how philosophy can help you thrive. You will learn why missing out might be a good thing, how options are overrated, and when you should be glad you made a mistake. You will be introduced to philosophical consolations for mortality. And you will learn what it would mean to live in the present, how it could solve your midlife crisis, and why meditation helps. Ranging from Aristotle, Schopenhauer, and John Stuart Mill to Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir, as well as drawing on Setiya's own experience, Midlife combines imaginative ideas, surprising insights, and practical advice. Writing with wisdom and wit, Setiya makes a wry but passionate case for philosophy as a guide to life.
Industry Reviews
"Setiya serves as an engaging companion for those in the throes of the dreaded midlife crisis, as he brings the wisdom of the ages to bear on the contemporary malaise. A self-help book with a strong--but not heavy-handed--philosophical foundation." * Kirkus *
"This is a wonderfully rich and illuminating examination of the turmoil of midlife."---PD Smith, The Guardian
"A delightful amalgam of self-help and intellectual inquiry." * The Economist *
"Setiya is a clear-thinking, plain-speaking companion who doesn't take himself too seriously."---Jeremy Clarke, Literary Review
"Setiya's elegant little volume is a 'philosophical guide' to what he calls the 'existential questions of midlife'."---Jonathan Derbyshire, Financial Times
"Setiya rediscovers very old wisdom here. It might help with a midlife crisis. But really, he is talking about the meaning of life. It is good that analytic philosophy is so much less scared of that topic than it used to be. I very much hope that Setiya's valuable and accessible book might help it to be less afraid also of the stages on life's way."---Christopher Hamilton, Mind
"Mr. Setiya hopes to lift sufferers out of this dip [of midlife] and help them flourish by conveying the insights of modern philosophy. . . . For a philosophy professor, [he] can be refreshingly unstuffy. He doesn't see a flashy sports car as a midlife crisis-mobile, that trite substitute for lost youth and virility. No, he sees it as an opportunity to change from goal-oriented, utilitarian thinking to a life-affirming experience of being in the moment."---Eric Felten, Wall Street Journal
"To me the book has succeeded in making a real difference."---Thomas Poelzler, Ethical Perspectives
"[Setiya's] book is a reminder that philosophy, at its best, can be both wise and humane."---Anil Gomes, Times Literary Supplement
"An accessible exploration of what history's great thinkers have had to say on the subject [of midlife]."---Sarah Murdoch, Toronto Star
"There's an uplifting message here for everyone. If you're in midlife, rest assured you wouldn't really enjoy being young again. If you're young, stop worrying about future regret, since even the best choices necessitate loss. And if you're old? Be glad all those panic-inducing choices are behind you."---Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian
"Midlife has a self-soothing quality. . . . [It] teaches a lesson about midlife: it's sometimes best to go with the flow."---Joshua Rothman, New Yorker
"A model for how to write philosophy clearly and non-technically without lapsing into banality or truism. . . . Warm, lucid and sane."---Joe Moran, Times Higher Education
"A concise, entertaining and humane guide through life's most difficult territory."---Simon Ings, The Spectator
