After Freedom: How Boomers Pursued Freedom Questioned Virtue and Still Search for Meaning

The youngest Boomers are not quite fifty; the oldest have already turned sixty-five. A generation that started out in the 1960s determined to be young forever is now asking what the point is of growing old. Convinced they were special Boomers discounted authority and charted their own course. They believed they could make the world better by pursuing freedom. The legacy of the Boomer experiment is becoming evident. Freedoms that were new when Boomers were young are now taken for granted and we are living after freedom. Are our freedoms real or illusory? Can we count on anything to be certain? Do virtue and character matter? In a secular age can we recover respect for the sacred? The time is ripe for Boomers to reconsider those good things in the past they refused to honor to voice their blessings for generations who will shape the future and to reclaim conviction as they stand firm and dare to say This is what I believe. Baby Boomers this is for you! With so many of us still on the planet its not surprising that we have gleaned more than a fair share of attention. Weve been identified as todays leaders consumers investors philanthropists; the people to court analyze enlist survey and solicit. Mary VanderGoots astute observations and incisive conclusions make a timely contribution to understanding this generation and its effect on those who are following. --Harry Stout Yale University. In a time when superficiality trumps depth Dr. VanderGoot provides thoughtful solid reasons for investing in the lives of other people. In her hands perceptions of aging are transformed from a long slow decline into one of lifes great good gifts. --Helen M. Sterk Western Kentucky University. Mary VanderGoot expertly traces the diminution of authority and the weakening of social bonds to the paradoxical nature of freedom articulated by Baby Boomers. I have not yet read a portrait of the Boomers that combines so well sensitive diagnosis with intelligent advice making this book a singular achievement particularly since the shortcomings of the Boomers world are becoming ever more apparent. --Jeffrey Polet Hope College Mary VanderGoot is a Licensed Psychologist Marriage and Family Therapist and Addictions Counselor. She is a graduate of Princeton University where she earned a PhD in psychology. In addition to her work as a therapist Dr. VanderGoot has been a university professor and author of numerous books and articles including: A Life Planning Guide for Women Narrating Psychology and Healthy Emotions.