Book SummaryFrom Strength to Strength, by Arthur C. Brooks

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of From Strength to Strength

In From Strength to Strength, management expert Arthur Brooks says that as we get older, our professional skills decline, and we can no longer succeed in our current jobs. However, he explains, this isn’t something to fear—with the right mindset, the second half of your life can be even happier and more meaningful than the first. If you find a job that suits your changing skill set, and if you change your idea of “success” from career achievement and material wealth to happiness and fulfillment, you can continue to thrive even as your professional skills decline.

Brooks is a bestselling author, a public speaker, and a Harvard Professor of Management Practice. He’s also a corporate coach specializing in leadership and workplace happiness. His own declining...

From Strength to Strength Summary The Problem: Professional Decline

Brooks begins by saying that for people working in practically any skilled job, professional decline sets in sometime between their late 30s and early 50s. This means that they start losing their job skills—they can’t think as quickly and solving problems becomes more difficult. Further, if the job is physically demanding, they find themselves becoming physically weaker and more prone to injury.

For example, statistically speaking, scientists and inventors are most likely to make significant breakthroughs before age 40; doing so after age 70 is practically unheard of. Creative professionals like authors and artists tend to succeed for a bit longer, but they still most commonly win awards in their 40s or 50s and then experience sharp declines in their later years.

This decline happens in large part because the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that controls higher-order thought processes like reasoning and creativity—starts to shrink around this...

From Strength to Strength Summary Solution #1: Find Work That Suits Your Changing Brain

While professional decline sounds disheartening, Brooks says you can turn this potential deterioration into an opportunity to find new types of success in the second half of your life.

To clarify how a mental decline can lead you to new kinds of success, Brooks first explains that you’re not really getting less intelligent as you age; rather, you’re becoming weaker in some areas but stronger in others. Therefore, to continue being successful in your career, you just need to start relying on a different type of intelligence and find work that suits this different skill set.

In this section, we’ll first discuss the two types of intelligence and how they change as we age. Then, we’ll discuss the career shift that Brooks recommends making due to this change.

The Two Types of Intelligence

According to Brooks, British psychologist Raymond Cattell believes there are two different types of intelligence: one that relies on creativity and quick thinking, and one that relies on knowledge and experience.

(Shortform note: It’s a common misconception that “intelligence” refers to a single ability; as Jim Kwik explains in...

From Strength to Strength Summary Solution #2: Redefine “Success”

Finding a career where you can keep excelling as you get older is important, but it’s only one part of a successful later life. Brooks says that to feel truly happy and fulfilled at this time, you also need to rethink your goals. Chasing career achievements, wealth, and prestige won’t be satisfying forever. That’s why, instead of continuing to focus on professional success, you should dedicate yourself to life success—in other words, living a well-rounded life full of contentment and love.

Achieving life success is all about finding a healthy work-life balance. In other words, don’t give up on work, but don’t neglect other areas of your life either: Spending time with your family and friends and practicing your faith (if any) contributes to your life success. You’ll know you’ve found life success when your happiness doesn’t rely on the [restricted term] burst you get from a personal achievement; instead, contentment will be your normal state of being.

(Shortform note: In Eat That Frog!, Brian Tracy gives some specific advice on establishing a [better work-life...

Shortform Exercise: Start Preparing For the Second Half of Your Life

We’ve explored numerous ways that you can be happy and fulfilled even after your professional decline. Now, regardless of your current age, take some time to apply what you’ve learned and start planning for the later years of your life.

What position or career path could you aspire to that lets you use your knowledge and experience as you age? (For example, if you’re currently an office worker, becoming a training manager for your company could play to these strengths.)