Many of us fear that sooner or later we’ll be considered disposable, that our absence won’t be noticed, that our opinions won’t matter. What’s more, this fear becomes particularly intense as we age. So what can we do to avoid being reduced to a state of paralysis and misery? Behavioral economist and American Enterprise Institute president Arthur Brooks weaves together prominent works of art, eastern and western philosophy, and the latest in human happiness research to illuminate the inescapable fact of change as we grow older — and to offer practical strategies for developing new strengths as we move through the stages of life.