Cycles: How We Will Live, Work, and Buy
Winner of 2004 Book of the Year Award from the National Community Colleges Association.
Drawing on her 20+ years of studying demographics, Dychtwald describes how age is becoming less relevant in defining who we are and how we live. Throughout most of history, life was short and people lived a predictable linear life plan: first they learned, then they worked, then they rested and died. That was life. But that model of life is quickly changing as life expectancy soars and the boomer generation begins to hit the so-called mature years. The cyclic approach to life has begun to replace the old linear life path where people can go back to school at 40, 60 or 80, have second and third careers and reinvent their retirement years. In this groundbreaking book, Maddy Dychtwald, a leading expert on generational marketing, offers a radical new view of how Americans live, work and buy and the staggering new implications for the marketplace, the workplace, and our lives.
Reviews
“If Rip Van Winkle awoke in 2010, after a thirty or forty-year sleep, he would be astounded by the revolutionary changes in how we live, work, and play. Maddy Dychtwald’s provocative presentation and analysis of these changes will stimulate marketers to discard many assumptions and to think of new ways to meet the evolving needs of 21st century consumers.”
“Maddy Dychtwald explains how understanding today’s cyclic society is the key to modern marketing. It’s time to refocus and stay one step ahead of the ever-learning, multi-careered, ageless crowd.”
“Maddy Dychtwald offers a fresh and perceptive view of what life will be like for Americans in the years to come. Cycles will help people understand and appreciate the enormous potential of the second half of life.”
“If the success of your business depends on getting and keeping the best employees, you must read this book.”
“This fantastic compendium of facts and anecdotes shows beyond all doubt that we are not stuck on any one life path. The landscape is vast. Maddy Dychtwald is a wise and imaginative guide, so let the exploration begin!”
“She (Dychtwald) shows how they (boomers) are defying conventional wisdom about growing old in the areas of work and leisure, as well as with relationships and the concept of retirement.”
“Cycles provides a compelling view of the new lifecycle revolution where age no longer defines who we are or how we live, offering us all the chance to grow and change throughout our lives and blossom more than once.”
“To create brightness for the future you need to understand and use the cycles of your life to maximize your advantage. Maddy Dychtwald’s book shows you how to conquer the cycles of life and create your ideal future.”
“Cycles is groundbreaking, insightful and compassionate. It sheds new light on the choices we will need to make, personally and collectively, to adapt to our changing needs as we journey through life.”