The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay

Contemporary culture tells us the twentysomething years don't matter. Clinical psychologist Dr Meg Jay argues that this could not be further from the truth. In fact, your twenties are the most defining decade of adulthood. The Defining Decade weaves the latest science of the twentysomething years with real-life stories to show us how work, relationships, personality, social networks, identity and even the brain can change more during this decade than at any other time in adulthood. Smart, compassionate and constructive, The Defining Decade is a practical guide to making the most of the years we cannot afford to miss.

For myself and mentees.

Both reaffirming and educational

"Everyone learns things the hard way at some time or another, and our brains take pictures so the learning stays with us. This is the basis of the saying "That's the lesson you'll never forget." It is a jarring - but efficient and often necessary - way to grow.(...)As we age, we feel less like leaves and more like trees. We have roots that ground us and sturdy trunks that may sway, but don't break, in the wind. The wind that blows by can be more serious. "You're fired!" is much scarier when you have a mortgage. The things we do wrong at work are no longer typos but may be losing a $500,000 account or releasing software that crashes the company website for a day. But older adults - and even twentysomethings who work at it - can be rooted in the confidence that problems can be solved, or at least survived."