"Bernadette Murphy's luminous book shows us how to take risks that
make us fierce and vulnerable, knowing that true strength is about
being generous as much as it is about not giving in." --Emily Rapp
Black, author of The Still Point of the Turning World and Poster
Child What happens when women in midlife step out of what's
predictable? For Bernadette Murphy, learning to ride a motorcycle
at forty-eight becomes the catalyst that transforms her from a
settled wife and professor with three teenage children into a woman
on her own. The confidence she gained from mastering a new skill
and conquering her fears gave her the courage to face deeper issues
in her own life and start taking risks. It is a fact that men and
women alike become more risk averse in our later years --which
according to psychologists and neuroscience is exactly what we
should not do. And Murphy stresses that while hers is a story of
transformation using a physical risk, emotional and educational
risks can serve the same beneficial purpose for other women. Murphy
uses her own story to explore the larger idea of how risk changes
our brain chemistry, how certain personality types embrace
dangerous behavior and why it energizes them, and why women's
expectations change once estrogen levels drop after the
childbearing years. She also explores the idea of women and risk in
pop culture--why there are so few stories of the conquering heroine
(instead of hero). Surely Thelma and Louise driving off the cliff
should not be our only pop culture reference for women finding true
freedom. With scientific research and journalistic interviews
weaving through a page-turning, road trip narrative, Harley and Me
is a compelling look at how one woman changed her life and found
deeper meaning out on the open road.
General
Imprint: |
Counterpoint
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
May 2017 |
Authors: |
Bernadette Murphy
|
Dimensions: |
221 x 146 x 20mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
288 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-61902-945-3 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-61902-945-6 |
Barcode: |
9781619029453 |
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