ABSTRACT
Talking to someone whose life has spanned over 80 years is always a rare and enriching experience. I had the privilege of sharing an afternoon with such a gentleman recently. In that time, he traced nearly a century of changes, large and small. Familiar names came and went; places and times appeared and disappeared. But his parting words have stayed with me. “You know,” he said gently, “you psychologists go on about stress as if it were something new … as if we had life real easy. You just put the fancy name on it. Things have always been the same. There have always been the good guys and the bad guys, the guys on the make and the ones who get left behind, the ones who are content with what little they have and the ones who have everything and still want more. The only difference is that now, with all the new learning, everyone has more of a chance.” I would like to think so, and I hope this book will increase the odds.
