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 Bateson 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"