Sheehy's book is an ambitious and informative study of "second adulthood," the time stretching from 45 to 85 years. The author of the bestseller Passages (1976) believes that the "Age of Mastery" (45-65) and the "Age of Integrity" (65-85) give people chances to "become better, stronger, deeper, wiser, funnier, freer, sexier, and more attentive to living the privileged moments." Sheehy profiles the five generations now occupying adulthood in America, paying special attention to the large cohort of Baby Boomers turning 50 in 1996. Chapters on the different responses of men and women to second adulthood are both fascinating. Best of all, Sheehy celebrates the "Age of Integrity" as a period in life characterized by spirituality, play, and self-direction.