People are living longer but this new longevity is not equivalent to an extension of old age or years added on at the end of life. Bateson describes a whole new stage of aging: Adulthood II. It is a time endowed with wisdom, health, and energy. It is a time to become the needed visionaries society is calling for.  She is the author of many books and papers, including Composing a Life (Grove Press 2001), With a Daughter’s Eye: A Memoir of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson (Harper Perennial 1994), Willing to Learn: Passages of Personal Discovery (Steerforth 2010). Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom (Knopf 2010)

Tags: Mary Catherine Bateson, Aging, Adulthood II, ageism, friendship, post-reproductive women, intergenerational relationships, longevity, Social Change/Politics, Community, Family/Community, Philosophy