Contingency -- The body -- Time -- Weight and lightness -- Loneliness -- Flesh and blood -- Nostalgia -- Boredom -- Guilt -- Suicide -- Pleasure -- Plenitude -- Conversation -- Children -- Spectacle -- Afterword -- A final thought. "Middle age, for many, marks a key period for a radical reappraisal of one's life and way of living. This book explores the moods, emotions and experiences of middle age in the contemporary world, seeking to describe and analyze that period of life philosophically. It is suitable for those heading for a 'mid-life crisis'"--Publisher's description.