Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. Happy Monday. And you know,

it being Monday, big shout out to all the listeners out there who formed a not-so-great relationship

with work and, like me, have a hard time not solely defining ourselves by our professional

accomplishments. Because the thing about nonstop

rising and grinding is that it's not conducive to long-term happiness later in life. According to

Arthur Brooks, he's a social scientist and writes a column about happiness for the Atlantic. He's got a new

book out now called From Strength to Strength. And in it, he argues

that to be happy in the second half of your life, it requires a change in skill set, a change

in priorities, a change in your entire approach to life. And he tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly

that being aware of this transition is the best way to not leave our happiness up to chance.

This message comes from Wise, the app for using money around the globe.

When you manage your money with Wise, you'll always get the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees.

Join millions of customers and visit Wise.com.

T's and C's apply.

This message comes from NPR sponsor, Subaru. Join Subaru in celebrating their seventh annual National Make a Dog's Day on October 22nd, a day to do something special for all dogs.

This day, combined with the Subaru Loves Pets Initiative, has helped many shelter animals

find loving homes, including hard-to-adopt underdogs. Learn more at Subaru.com slash pets.

Three years ago, back in 2019, I sat down with Arthur Brooks, the writer and social scientist,

and he told me about an experience he had had

on a plane where he'd found himself seated in the row ahead of an older gentleman.

And he was talking to his wife, and I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but hear.

And he was saying he wished he were dead. And I thought it was somebody who must have been really

...