The book examines the changes in people’s brains as they near middle age that make old ways of doing things-such as constantly working harder-less satisfying and effective, and charts a course to finding a “second curve” that can be more rewarding. But this detour didn’t derail the career of Arthur Brooks, now a Harvard Business School professor.īrooks explores his unlikely shift from budding musician to hard-charging head of a Washington, DC, thinktank and academic in his new book, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.

He took a job teaching music and, to hedge his bets, finished college through a distance-learning program. In fact, the harder he raged against his decline, the faster it inevitably came. No amount of practice or specialized training helped. At 19, he dropped out of college to tour the world, his goal of joining a top symphony orchestra as a soloist just within reach.īut suddenly, his performance started to worsen. Decades ago, a talented young musician pursued his childhood dream of becoming the world’s greatest French horn player, studying with great teachers, attending music festivals, and always earning first chair.

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