Frederic M. Hudson

Superseding Gail Sheehy ( Passages , LJ 5/15/76) and other stage theorists of adult life, Hudson writes that college graduates will achieve personal fulfillment and develop into better mentors and leaders if they see life as cycles of stability, as opposed to "transition and reevaluation, followed by more stability." Adults, Hudson claims, perform major tasks like work and caretaking repeatedly but differently over the course of a lifetime. These tasks require skills, and the most notable skill is "self-renewal"--an exploration that may lead to a transformation of values, beliefs, and feelings. Although his analysis of society has major faults (e.g., he virtually ignores self-help groups and religion), Hudson's model for adult development is detailed, inter-disciplinary, and useful. An excellent choice for public and academic libraries.
Library Journal… (meer)