Mary Catherine Bateson is an American writer and cultural anthropologist whose work delves deeply into themes of identity, culture, and intergenerational relationships. Through her anthropological lens, she explores how individuals and societies are shaped by and adapt to an ever-changing world. Her prose is often introspective and reflective, grounded in the rich context of her own life and the insights gleaned from her parents, renowned anthropologists. Bateson offers a unique perspective on the complexities of human existence and how history and culture inform our present.
Exploring the concept of Adulthood II, Bateson redefines old age as a transformative stage of life, encouraging individuals to reinvent themselves. She emphasizes the potential for growth and contribution during this period, inspired by increased life spans and resources. The book serves as a guide to finding new meanings and opportunities for engagement in society, challenging traditional perceptions of aging.
Mary Catherine Bateson has been called "one of the most original and important thinkers of our time" (Deborah Tannen). Grove Press is pleased to reissue Bateson's deeply satisfying treatise on the improvisational lives of five extraordinary women. Using their personal stories as her framework, Dr. Bateson delves into the creative potential of the complex lives we live today, where ambitions are constantly refocused on new goals and possibilities. With balanced sympathy and a candid approach to what makes these women inspiring, examples of the newly fluid movement of adaptation--their relationships with spouses, children, and friends, their ever-evolving work, and their gender--Bateson shows us that life itself is a creative process. "Well-formulated and passionate ... Offers nothing less than a radical rethinking of the concept of achievement." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Fascinating ... A masterwork of rare breadth and particularity." -- The Boston Globe
The author of Composing a Life provides a thought-provoking study of the art of learning that explains how a continuation of the learning process throughout a lifetime adds pleasure and understanding to human life and helps ensure the future. $60,000 ad/promo. Tour.
For more than a generation, this pioneering book has been an indispensable introduction to the field of anthropology. Here, in her study of three sharply contrasting cultures, Benedict puts forward her famous thesis that a people's culture is an integrated whole, a "personality writ large." Includes a preface from Margaret Mead.