In The Soul's Code, James Hillman argued that each of us is born with an innate character that calls us to what we are meant to be. Now, in The Force of Character, he looks at life's finishing act -- old age. The value of aging, Hillman writes, is that "we become more characteristic of who we are simply by lasting into later years." He presents an explosive new thesis -- that even age's debilitating changes are necessary and meaningful. A weakening short-term memory makes us recall the past and re-evaluate our lives; decline of physical power allows us to be still and notice life's wonders. America demands its old people act young; Hillman challenges us to stop denying the facts and lessons of old age. This empowering, original work offers an entirely other viewpoint to current genetic determinism which sees no purpose in the long stretch of later years. Hillman writes, "Aging can free you from conventional constriction and transform you into a force of nature, releasing your deepest beliefs, your passionate intensity." For all who read it, The Force of Character will be a seminal life-affirming experience.