X-Message-Number: 5535 From: (David Stodolsky) Subject: Fwd: []INNOVATION, 1 January 1996 Date: Wed, 3 Jan 96 13:20:14 +0100 Forward of letter <> from : Date: Mon, 01 Jan 1996 14:32:48 EDT From: Reply-To: To: Subject: INNOVATION, 1 January 1996 OLD AGE ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE Having recently completed extensive surveys of their emerging over-50 readership, the magazines Modern Maturity and New Choices have found that the aging Baby Boom generation is dramatically different from former generations of readers. Many of the people in the new 50-plus group feel as if they are starting a new life. A research director for one of the surveys says: "The most important thing about that group is that they have been through so much change and this means they are open to newer different products." Some will retire to travel, engage in sports, and live busy lives; others (especially those who were negligent with regard to saving money) will continue working longer than previous generations. So Modern Maturity is planning two separate versions of its magazine by the end of 1997: one for readers who work and one for ones who are retired. (New York Times 18 Dec 95 C5) AGE, CREATIVITY AND OUTPUT Feeling creative? Feeling old? Productivity and age have different dynamics in different fields. There are four main divisions: "early peak, not sustained" careers such as most fields of professional athletics, heavy manual labor, mathematics and theoretical physics, and chess; "early peak, sustained" careers such as economics, literature, musical composition, painting and sculpture, and musical performance; "late peak, not sustained" careers such as top managers of very large firms, who get their jobs when in their late fifties and then retire in their early sixties; and "late peak, sustained" careers such as judging. In general, leadership has a later peak than creativity, because successful leadership tends to require interpersonal skills, a wide network of acquaintances, practical experience, emotional maturity, and responsibility -- traits developed over time. (Richard A. Posner, "Aging and Old Age," (University of Chicago Press 1995 375pgs) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (C) Innovation is copyrighted, 1995, by NewsScan, Inc., all rights reserved; -- however, please feel free to forward sample copies to your friends! Innovation is published weekly, with individual subscriptions available at $15 a year. Site licenses are also available. For a six-week free trial subscription to Innovation, type the word "subscribe" in the body (not subject!) of a message to: For a regular subscription, you can pay by check or credit card, as follows. To pay by check, simply make your check payable to NewsScan, Inc. at the address below (and print your e-mail address on the check). To pay by VISA, Mastercard, or American Express, send us your name, card number, and expiration date. Phone number 404-371-1853. Send e-mail to: International subscribers should pay in U.S. funds by credit card, international money order, or check drawn on a U.S. bank. Our mailing address is: NewsScan, Inc., P.O. Box 15010, Atlanta, GA. 30333 To reach us: send mail to or , or call 404-371-1853 (voice), or 404-371-8057 (fax). We appreciate your interest and support and would like to hear from you. -- John Gehl & Suzanne Douglas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David S. Stodolsky Euromath Center University of Copenhagen Tel.: +45 38 33 03 30 Fax: +45 38 33 88 80 (C) Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5535