The Full Cycle of Life

Before you is the extended edition of the last work of the famous psychologist Erik Erikson, covering the entire human life cycle, made possible by his wife and colleague Joan Erikson. She participated in the development of the concept of... the eight stages of human development, and Erikson himself acknowledged that he could not distinguish his contribution to this work from that of his wife. What Erikson was unable to encompass in his entire life, full of remarkable achievements, is the ninth stage, advanced old age. 

As life expectancy increases, this stage is becoming increasingly important for many people concerned about the quality and nature of daily life in old age. Joan Erikson, who was over ninety at the time of the book's creation, skillfully narrates the specific problems and joys of old age, expanding Erik Erikson's vision of human development at its key stages. Joan writes about the particular difficulties faced by people in advanced age, outlines in broad strokes the vital role that hope and faith should play in the lives of octogenarians and nonagenarians, and revises the concept of wisdom.