![Peak, by Patricia and Don Edgar.](/web/20170309004428im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/f/5/m/q/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.guf5sg.png/1487555766785.jpg)
Peak: Reinventing Middle Age
Patricia & Don Edgar
Text, $32.99
The late Middle Ages saw many cultural and technological developments that lead to the Renaissance. Patricia and Don Edgar use this historical period as an analogy to stress how middle age can be the apex of our lives, a time in which we capitalise on all we have experienced and learnt. They argue that middle age still has an image problem and it is up to the media, government and business to help to transform our perception of it and recognise that the middle aged are an asset not a burden. Clearly the market will also be a driver. For instance, there will soon be more cinema-goers over 60 than under 18, which will force production companies to rethink target audiences. With its inspirational case studies and emphasis on new opportunities, Peak is both a handbook for reinvention and an analysis of our changing understanding of this phase of life.