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This extraordinary book explores that act of creation that engages us all--the compostition of our lives. Through the comparative biographies of herself and four of her close friends, Mary Catherine provides a fascinating framework for her inquiry into the creative potential of complex lives, where energies are not narrowly focused toward a single ambition but rather are continually refocused and redefined. Each of the women in Composing a Life faced discontinuity at periods in her life, yet was rich in professional achievement and personal relationships. Bateson's life-affirming conclusion is that life is an improvisational art form, and that the interruptions, conflicted priorities, and exigencies that are a part of all our lives can and should be seen as a source of wisdom. Important and empowering, Composing a Life will change lives. Well-formulated and passionate...offers nothing less than a radical rethinking of the concept of achievement. -- San Francisco Chronicle Bateson has written about women, but not just for women. Everyone can gain from this book.--Bill Moyers The best book since Gail Sheehy's Passages for turning life's discontinuities into growth. --Stewart Brand A literary form that reflects the way women commonly reason and talk. The Boston Globe Truth steams behind the quiet elegance of these passages. -- The New York Times Book Review