Studies keep showing that love after fifty is more satisfying than at any other stage in life, and it makes sense: at this stage, you are more emotionally stable and more focused on the present; you know what you absolutely have to have, but also what you can live without; partnering is no longer about building family and fortune--it's about sharing intimacy as grounded individuals. And sex isn't pass/fail anymore, but about becoming erotic friends.

So, if this is the promised land, how do you get there?

In Love After 50, journalist Francine Russo interviewed the best experts in the field and dozens of couples to help show the way. Her "practical, excellent guide" (John Gottman, author of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work) includes advice like:
-How to recover from the emotional damage of divorce, the grief of widowhood, or a history of unfulfilling relationships
-How to build realistic requirements for a partner
-What attitudes to bring to dating
-How to overcome the psychical challenges of sex and embrace your erotic selves
-How to evaluate the financial, emotional, and practical results of marrying, living together, or living apart
-How to deal with (hostile) adult kids to safeguard your relationship and family

Love After 50 is "essential reading" (Pauline Boss, PhD, author of The Myth of Closure) that is not only practical but also unassuming and candid. It is full of real people's stories (including the author's), with vivid examples of couples who have overcome their pasts to form healthy and nurturing partnerships. In other words, it's as real as love after fifty can be.