Meg Jay, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of human development at University of Virginia. She earned a doctorate in clinical psychology, and in gender studies, from University of California, Berkeley. Her TED talk "Why 30 Is Not the New 20" is among the most watched of all time.
"A clinical psychologist issues a four-alarm call for the 50
million 20-somethings in America.... A cogent argument for growing
up and a handy guidebook on how to get there."--Kirkus Reviews
"Any recent college grad mired in a quarter-life crisis or merely
dazed by the freedom of post-collegiate existence should consider
it required reading."--Slate.com, Staff Pick
"Before reading THE DEFINING DECADE I didn't know enough about the
importance of our twenties to be concerned that I could mess it all
up. Now that I do, I could worry myself into paralysis, or, as Meg
Jay suggests, grab life by the helm--even if I still have no idea
in hell where I'm going. Without a doubt, The Defining
Decade will leave you eager to embark on what I now see can be
the most exciting odyssey of one's life."--Rachel Kauder Nalebuff,
editor of My Little Red Book
"Blending the latest social science research with real life
accounts of twentysomething clients and students, Jay provides
valuable and compelling insights and direction for
twentysomethings, their parents, and parents of future
twentysomethings."--Leslie C. Bell, PhD, author of Hard to Get:
20-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom.
"Excellently written, this book is sensitive to the emotional life
of twentysomethings."--Library Journal
"Expecting to experience the joy of freedom and self-discovery,
many young men and women find instead confusion, loneliness, and
anomie. Jay is just the sort of guide that these twentysomethings
and their parents need: sensitive, thoughtful, and wise."--Kay
Hymowitz, author of Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned
Men into Boys
"I strongly recommend THE DEFINING DECADEfor anyone in their 20s
trying to figure out their life's direction. You'll learn how to
search productively, how to avoid being indulgent, and how to turn
good opportunities into great ones."--Po Bronson, author of What
Should I Do With My Life?, co-author of Nurtureshock
"Listen to me closely. If you know someone already in or entering
the third decade of life, or their parents, or their therapist, you
must give them this book. Meg Jay slams a cultural corrective on
our desk. Pay attention. The twenties are the defining decade of
human life where the foundation of every future is laid...No one
should turn thirty without having read this book."--J. Anderson
Thomson Jr., MD; staff psychiatrist, University of Virginia,
department of Student Health; co-author, Facing Bipolar: The Young
Adult's Guide to Facing Bipolar Disorder
"Meg Jay brings a sharp intellect, expertise on the life cycle, and
extensive clinical experience to this powerful book. Age and time,
she argues, are not malleable, even if people live longer and our
culture believes that everything is possible. Reading this book
will benefit clinicians, cultural commentators, and
twentysomethings themselves."--Nancy Chodorow, author of
Individualizing Gender and Sexuality: Theory and Practice
"Meg Jay masterfully blends cutting-edge research and life stories
of psychotherapy clients to make a compelling case that this age
period is crucial for launching love and work. You will learn a lot
from this book and it will spur you to seize control of your future
now."--Avril Thorne, University of California, Santa Cruz
"Meg Jay takes the specific complaints of twenty something life and
puts them to diagnostic use."--New Yorker
"The professional and personal angst of directionless
twentysomethings is given a voice and some sober counsel in this
engaging guide. While Jay maintains that facing difficulties in
one's 20s 'is a jarring--but efficient and often necessary--way to
grow, ' the author is sincere and sympathetic, making this
well-researched mix of generational sociology, psychotherapy,
career counseling, and relationship advice a practical treatise for
a much-maligned demographic."--Publishers Weekly
"This fascinating, engaging book makes a convincing case that the
twenties are the most transformative period of people's lives, and
even better, shows readers how to get off the couch and live that
decade well. It should be read by all young adults, their friends,
their parents, their grandparents, their bosses, their siblings . .
. really, by just about everyone!"--Timothy D. Wilson, author of
Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change
"THE DEFINING DECADE does an excellent job of conveying the latest
social science on twentysomething relationships and helping young
adults to understand why these relationships can be so confusing
and challenging...Young adults looking for insights about love,
life, and marriage should turn to Dr. Meg Jay's engaging and
insightful new book."--W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the National
Marriage Project at the University of Virginia
"THE DEFINING DECADE is a must read for the twentysomething who is
looking to build a meaningful, fulfilling, and rich life. Dr. Jay
clearly illustrates some of the biggest mistakes we can make in our
twenties. But more important she gives advice about how to make
decisions that will set twentysomethings up for success in the
workplace and intimate relationships in their thirties and
beyond."--C. J. Pascoe, author of Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity
and Sexuality in High School
"THE DEFINING DECADE is a rare gem: a fresh, original contribution
to the study of adult development that's also a pleasurable, almost
effortless read."--Daphne de Marneffe, PhD, author of Maternal
Desire: On Children, Love, and the Inner Life
"THE DEFINING DECADE is eye-opening, important, and a pleasure to
read. I highly recommend it."--Wendy Mogel, author of The Blessing
of a Skinned Knee and The Blessing of a B Minus
"THE DEFINING DECADE is the book twentysomethings have been waiting
for. It will not tell you what you should do with your life, but it
will inspire, motivate, and educate you to figure it out."--Rachel
Simmons, author of The Good Girl
"THE DEFINING DECADE [is] just the wake up call many
twentysomethings need."--The Coffin Factory
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