AGING WELL: SURPRISING GUIDEPOSTS TO A HAPPIER LIFE By George E. Vaillant, MD Aging well is a developmental task I hope to accomplish. I became aware of the book when a student, Kathryn R. Ward, decided to read it for a course I was teaching. I suggested some edits and her review was subsequently published in the Journal of Psychology and Christianity . Vaillant defines successful aging on page 15 as a: “vital reaction to change, disease, and to conflict.” I met George Vaillant at a Positive Psychology conference hosted by the Gallup Corporation. It was clear that he and his research team have learned a lot about aging as they have followed the progress of adults in the famous Harvard Study of Adult Development . What captured by interest was the emphasis on what works--what helps people grow and develop well. The book provides an in-depth summary of adult development from the perspective of Erickson’s developmental tasks. Using examples
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