The Middle Passage

From Misery to Meaning in Midlife

By: Dr. James Hollis

Narrated by: James Hollis

Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Author James Hollis' eloquent reading provides the listener with an accessible and yet profound understanding of a universal condition - or what is commonly referred to as the mid-life crisis. The book shows how we may travel this Middle Passage consciously, thereby rendering our lives more meaningful and the second half of life immeasurably richer.

©1993 Dr. James Hollis (P)2004 BMA Studios

Critic reviews

"With a calm tone and a friendly voice, Hollis leads listeners through this perilous period and advises on ways to negotiate it." ( AudioFile)

Thought provoking

From beging to end the author kept you engaged. I will recommend this to friends!

Beautiful news for journeying the Middle Passage

What did you love best about The Middle Passage?

I'm still listening to it. I keep going back over thing Dr Hollis says as it seems to reasonable and worthy to skim over. I need to hear it again and again to make sure it sinks in. This is advice and depth of emotional knowledge at it's best.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I love that it's the man himself reading to us.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

I love the section on projection. It gives me a clearer understanding of why we sometimes can't help ourselves become free of the stuff that keeps us locked into patterns of damage and sadness.
A wonderful book.

Extremely insightful and a wonderful resource for discovering yourself

I found this book to be extremely valuable. There is so much wisdom here I imagine it would be very difficult for anyone who reads it not to find it a tremendous value.

A lot of knowledge to understand midlife

This a great book for midlife, the author has a lot of knowledge of this period in life, one of the best books I have read so far. It gives an explanation from a physiology perspective, yet in an easy way to understand it, warmly human. A companion book in midlife to read not just once, but couple of times during this time.

Terrific

What a great way to explain what I am going through. Enjoyed every bit of this.

Worthwhile

Worthwhile, offers lots to reflect and act upon. Recommend keeping journal handy. Excellent reading by the author.

Spun gold

Hollis has such a keen understanding of human nature. Read this if you plan to survive middle age.

Surprisingly good

I'm in my early fifties, and have always taken self-help type books with a grain of salt. But for the most part this was a rational and logical explanation of the psychological changes we progress through as we age. I had quite a few 'ah-ha moments.'

I think most anyone 40+ yrs old would get something out of this, but particularly those with a less than ideal upbringing. It's sobering to know how long a dysfunctional background affects you all through life, something I was well aware of before listening to this audio book.

The author talks about a 'second adulthood' we experience later in life, and in doing so he put a name to what I have been experiencing myself during the past few years. Namely, yet another layer of the onion being peeled back in an effort to live an authentic life with less baggage.

The narrator/author is a psychologist, after all, so don't expect a lively telling. But the sound quality is good and the substance even better, so personally I wasn't put off by that. It's deep stuff, so I found myself listening to it a little at a time so that I could digest it all.

If Jung/myth is your lodestone, this is for you!

What made the experience of listening to The Middle Passage the most enjoyable?

Authors grasp of myth and story. Of how depression or losing one's way is both suffering
and possibility; humiliation and salvation.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Middle Passage?

His use of poetry and literature to help the listener better understand the inner journey of discovering and living a more meaningful life.

What does James Hollis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His passion and warmth. Yet, a calmness of experience.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

That if one can endure and engage one's own life, change is possible.

Direct and straight forward, very helpful

This book is exactly what it says, the perfect read for a midlife crisis or even just a midlife blah. Helpful to understand how we grow up from our parents or don’t depending on dependencies and relationships between parents can extend to relationships with partners and children of our own. Taking responsibility for our own life even when we are victimized is ultimately the key and this book clearly lays out the human condition and best ways to navigate this middle life moment when we look at our past and try to imagine our future.