Quarterlife

The Search for Self in Early Adulthood

By: Satya Doyle Byock

Narrated by: Satya Doyle Byock

Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

An innovative psychotherapist tackles the overlooked stage of Quarterlife—the years between adolescence and midlife—and provides a “fascinating” guide “on how to navigate and thrive—rather than just survive—these odd years” (PureWow).

“Quarterlife is an insightful, revealing look at the messy and uncharted paths to wholeness, and a powerful tool for anyone navigating early adulthood.”—Tembi Locke, New York Times bestselling author of From Scratch

I’m stuck. What’s wrong with me? Is this all there is? Satya Doyle Byock hears these refrains regularly in her psychotherapy practice where she works with “Quarterlifers,” individuals between the ages of (roughly) sixteen to thirty-six. She understands their frustration. Some clients have done everything “right”: graduate, get a job, meet a partner. Yet they are unfulfilled and unclear on what to do next. Byock calls these Quarterlifers “Stability Types.” Others are uninterested in this prescribed path, but feel unmoored. She refers to them as “Meaning Types.”

While society is quick to label the emotions and behavior of this age group as generational traits, Byock sees things differently. She believes these struggles are part of the developmental journey of Quarterlife, a distinct stage that every person goes through and which has been virtually ignored by popular culture and psychology.

In Quarterlife, Byock utilizes personal storytelling, mythology, Jungian psychology, pop culture, literature, and client case studies to provide guideposts for this period of life. Listeners will be able to find themselves on the spectrum between Stability and Meaning Types, and engage with Byock’s four pillars of Quarterlife development:

• Separate: Gain independence from the relationships and expectations that no longer serve you
• Listen: Pay close attention to your own wants and needs
• Build: Create, cultivate, and construct tools and practices for the life you want
• Integrate: Take what you’ve learned and manifest something new

Quarterlife is a defining work that offers a compassionate roadmap toward finding understanding, happiness, and wholeness in adulthood.

©2022 Satya Doyle Byock (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Absent the structured rites of passage that enabled our ancestors to emerge from childhood into adulthood, how is a young person supposed to grow up today?... Quarterlife is a valuable guide to the perplexed in those seas. Filled with illustrative examples, Byock provides tips, clues, and guidance for those who otherwise feel alone.”—James Hollis, Ph.D., Jungian Analyst and author of Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life

“For decades now, there's been a crisis—psychological, existential—among America’s young adults, one that has been hiding in plain sight. I know of no one better to address it than Satya Doyle Byock, who has made attending to this age group her life’s work. Quarterlife is compassionate, specific, forceful, lucid, and very wise. It is the book a lot of people have been waiting for, whether they know it or not.”—William Deresiewicz, author of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite

“I’m obsessed with this book. If you’re a younger millennial, or a Gen-Zer and trying to figure out why do I feel this way, why don’t I feel satisfied, why do I always feel like I’m behind?—this is the book for you.”—Anne Helen Petersen, author of Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation

loved this book!

this book was so helpful, relatable, well written, and following the different characters made it entertaining. I devoured this book, and I am going to buy the hard copy. It also made me want to try going to therapy again.

Very helpful, interesting, and insightful information

I really enjoyed this book and had never thought about this time of life and its unique challenges. It was very eye-opening with many ideas for how to navigate this time of life and suggestions and benefits for supporting people more during this difficult transition in life.

Well done, would have liked to explore spectrums more

This book uses stories to convey the different places young people are at in their crises, connecting the currents of the present and past with real anxieties for the future. I would have liked to hear more stories of people not on the far ends of the spectrum of structure and meaning, the struggles that continue as we are in a place where we are seen and sometimes feel as though we are thriving, but then get lost in the struggle again. Thank you for your book.

As a young person, I felt seen

It’s like going to therapy without the personal therapist. Well written and full of great insights

Strongly recommend

Important in naming a life phase and the specific challenges that feel so freighted because the young person is apt to believe that decisions made now will affect the rest of their lives. As a former quarter lifer who felt that every decision had existential importance and a current parent of a 22 year old, I highly recommend.

Not just for Quarterlifers

Satya’s understanding of & ability to articulate the psychological milestones for becoming adult humans is just not for quarterlifers - as a 70 something I found useful information too. Life does not have to be so hard. An appropriate mental hand up for young people on their path to individuation is something to strive towards.

What the world, and I, need now

This book was powerful to read. Wish I had read it years ago during my true “quarter life,” time. It still rings true to existential struggles in my early 40s. This books helps makes sense of it all and is empowering. The audio version is read by the author who has great pacing and tone. Loved it! A must read.

I enjoyed listening to this book

It spoke to an internal struggle that I have been trying to name for a couple of years in my 20’s- stability versus meaning. I identified heavily with one of the characters though all of them were relatable. I appreciated the encouragement given by the author. Would recommend to anyone in their quarter life.

Should be required in highschool/early adulthood!

Truly eye opening for me, I'm LONG past high school and at the far upper end of quarter life (or past it) but I wish I would have had this book years ago. It explained concepts I struggled to put into words and gave me the words\language to talk about those concepts. I am extremely grateful to have listened to this one.

Disappointing Delivery of a Needed Theory

This was an unfortunate mishmosh of political grievances (while many noble) connected without any relationship to the purpose of the writing and lacking in scientific studies. This book served as more a soapbox for the author, lacking substance solutions, coping strategies or psychological theories and instead giving antidotes from their personal sessions. It paraded stereotypes and made sweeping categorizations, overlooking the individuals. Portraying those content or happy as untrue to themselves and succumbed to societal pressure, leaving only a depressing outlook of hopeless for the reader searching for solutions. Such an unfortunate miss on a truly needed subject.