Being 40 - by Stacey Lindsay (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An empathetic, practical, and deeply relatable exploration of midlife today--and a field guide to do it your way.

AN OPEN FIELD BOOK FROM MARIA SHRIVER

Your forties can feel like navigating a relentless wave of pressure. Questions such as "Am I where I 'should' be?", "Should I be married?", "Have kids?", "Switch careers?" often dominate our thoughts. For too long, society has marked this decade as one of decline and predictability. Today, though, it's anything but. Shaped by thrilling possibilities, your forties can be a time of profound self-discovery. You know yourself better than ever, and are finally ready to let go of the "shoulds."

In Being 40, journalist Stacey Lindsay crafts a new narrative that captures the diverse experiences of women entering midlife today, shattering the limiting stories. Through insights from experts such as Dené Logan, Vanessa Cornell, and Tara Mohr; candid interviews with real women; and her own journey, Lindsay provides a modern, bold exploration of marriage and relationships, living with and without kids, beauty standards, career transitions, and health shifts. Each chapter includes questions and prompts to help you uncover what you truly desire in this phase of life.

Being 40 is a brave and inclusive reframing of what it means to be a woman today, and a compass for anyone ready to trust their intuition, embrace change, and step fully into who they are.

Review Quotes

"This book gives voice to what women so often carry quietly -- the questions about work, worth, love, and who we're allowed to be. Being 40 turns those questions into liberation."
--Maria Shriver

"With warmth, honesty, curiosity, and a discerning eye, journalist Stacey Lindsay offers us a look at a time in a woman's life that deserves recognition and celebration. This book will help you cut through the noise of a sexist world and connect to the authentic you that Society has taught you to ignore."
--Kara Loewentheil, New York Times bestselling author of Take Back Your Brain

"Stacey Lindsay has written the guidebook I wish I'd had when I turned forty--a fierce, compassionate rallying cry that says: "You are not behind. You are not too much. You are exactly where you need to be." Whether you're questioning your career, your relationships, your body, or your choices about motherhood, Lindsay meets you with unflinching honesty and zero judgment to remind us that our forties aren't about checking boxes--they're about reclaiming our voices and our lives. This is the conversation every woman deserves to have, and the permission slip we've been waiting for. Read it, share it with your friends, and watch what happens when we stop performing and start living."
--Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and New York Times bestselling author of Fired Up and Fight Like a Mother

"Being 40 is a reflective, incisive exploration of womanhood today. It unravels the limiting stories we've been taught to hold and reveals how quietly they shape our lives. Yet at its core, it is a hopeful invitation to imagine possibilities that honor our truth and allow us to live more fully."
--Anna Malaika Tubbs, social scientist and New York Times bestselling author of Erased and The Three Mothers

"Being 40 gives women in our 40s permission to do all the things. Stacey Lindsay's exceptionally candid book draws upon her own story and advice from a broad range of experts to paint an inspirational picture of a decade that we should look upon as a new beginning."
--Eliza Reid, former First Lady of Iceland, gender equality advocate, bestselling author, and cofounder of the Iceland Writers Retreat

About the Author

Stacey Lindsay is a multimedia journalist, editor, and writer specializing in women's issues and culture. Recognized for her empathetic approach, Lindsay has interviewed hundreds of public figures and civilians for national outlets, from Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper to goop. Previously, she was a CBS affiliate news anchor and reporter. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their rescue pup, Andi MacHowl.