What do you think?
Rate this book
The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life
Now in his seventies, poet and philosopher Mark Nepo explores the rhythms of aging in the second half of life.
As the years go by, the question for each of us becomes more and more What does it mean to age? Despite the limitations that come as the body wears down, Mark Nepo believes that there are many gifts to inhabit by aging. So much is gained and so much is shed along the way.
As Mark began to reflect on the gifts and challenges of this process we’re all immersed in, he realized, more than ever, that we are called to live a creative life as we age. We are led to what the Chinese call “the fifth season”—that moment in late summer when the glare of the sun fades so that we can see clearly the true colors around us.
The Fifth Season offers Mark’s wise and gentle insights on growing older, helping readers identify the second half of life as a turning point, a time of integration and transformation that guides us in making sense of our experiences. All seasons lead to this season; all experiences lead to this understanding of experience.
In truth, Mark writes, we each must face living and dying from the inside of the one life we are given. But we can share the journey, which is the purpose of this book, to be a companion in your effort to enter the fifth season of your life.
As the years go by, the question for each of us becomes more and more What does it mean to age? Despite the limitations that come as the body wears down, Mark Nepo believes that there are many gifts to inhabit by aging. So much is gained and so much is shed along the way.
As Mark began to reflect on the gifts and challenges of this process we’re all immersed in, he realized, more than ever, that we are called to live a creative life as we age. We are led to what the Chinese call “the fifth season”—that moment in late summer when the glare of the sun fades so that we can see clearly the true colors around us.
The Fifth Season offers Mark’s wise and gentle insights on growing older, helping readers identify the second half of life as a turning point, a time of integration and transformation that guides us in making sense of our experiences. All seasons lead to this season; all experiences lead to this understanding of experience.
In truth, Mark writes, we each must face living and dying from the inside of the one life we are given. But we can share the journey, which is the purpose of this book, to be a companion in your effort to enter the fifth season of your life.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2025
170 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
About the author
Mark Nepo
51 books618 followersMark Nepo is a poet and spiritual teacher whose work explores inner transformation and the courage to stay open to life. Known for the bestselling The Book of Awakening, he has written more than twenty books and created numerous audio projects that invite readers to reflect, heal, and deepen their relationships. A cancer survivor, he often describes his illness as a turning point that shaped his understanding of presence and vulnerability. After many years teaching literature and poetry, he devoted himself to writing and guiding others through workshops and retreats. His reflections have been featured widely, including on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday, and he continues to write about living with authenticity and attention.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 30, 2025
Pre-Read Notes:
This is a book on creativity in later life and I was really curious about what it has to offer.
"For love and loss flutter us up, opening and closing the eyes of our heart. And despair is getting stuck in the blink of loss. And denial is getting stuck in the fearful effort to never blink." p33
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) When I took the arc for this book, I thought it would be an examination of the author's creative process. However, I've discovered it is about being creative in meeting the challenges that come with aging. Despite this, I think readers of many ages would find the insights in this book useful or inspiring.
My 3 Favorite Things:
✔️ "One of the most enduring ways the force of our soul seeps into the world is through our efforts to build, repair, and build again. This mysterious impulse is the ounce of emergence that sparks our resilience. There is excitement when we first build , frustration when we need to repair, and the acceptance of loss before endeavoring to build again." p18 This book has a really interesting way of looking at resilience, almost like a nature cycle of growing and retracting and then growing again. I quite like it.
✔️ "When someone is in a coma, we can still send our love to the place in them that might still receive. When someone we love is being twisted by addiction or is tangled in such a sublime sensitivity that they can’t seem to survive in the world, we can still love them. This is the marathon of compassion: to stay the course without turning away or giving ourselves away. And no one quite knows how to do this. We simply learn as much as our open heart will let in." p124 Reaching for connection is a beautiful expression of empathy. I really love that this is a book about connection as much as it is about creating.
✔️"[...W]hen someone asks you to be like them, they are agents of approval and rejection. But when someone inquires into who you are, they are seeking kinship." p135 Your friends shouldn't want to control or change you, and you can reach for connection while still honoring your integrity.
✔️ "As I get older, I keep yearning for this friendship with life, which is the deeper home I am returned to when I put down all I carry, or when I quiet the noise of my mind and slow the friction of the world, or when I part the veils that keep accumulating between me and life. Our friendship with life is the ever-present sanctuary of being that waits beneath our struggles." p142
Notes:
1. Don't assume you're too young for this one; I see it as at least of passing interest to younger readers.
Thank you to the author Mark Nepo, St. Martin's Essentials, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THE FIFTH SEASON. All views are mine.
This is a book on creativity in later life and I was really curious about what it has to offer.
"For love and loss flutter us up, opening and closing the eyes of our heart. And despair is getting stuck in the blink of loss. And denial is getting stuck in the fearful effort to never blink." p33
Final Review
(thoughts & recs) When I took the arc for this book, I thought it would be an examination of the author's creative process. However, I've discovered it is about being creative in meeting the challenges that come with aging. Despite this, I think readers of many ages would find the insights in this book useful or inspiring.
My 3 Favorite Things:
✔️ "One of the most enduring ways the force of our soul seeps into the world is through our efforts to build, repair, and build again. This mysterious impulse is the ounce of emergence that sparks our resilience. There is excitement when we first build , frustration when we need to repair, and the acceptance of loss before endeavoring to build again." p18 This book has a really interesting way of looking at resilience, almost like a nature cycle of growing and retracting and then growing again. I quite like it.
✔️ "When someone is in a coma, we can still send our love to the place in them that might still receive. When someone we love is being twisted by addiction or is tangled in such a sublime sensitivity that they can’t seem to survive in the world, we can still love them. This is the marathon of compassion: to stay the course without turning away or giving ourselves away. And no one quite knows how to do this. We simply learn as much as our open heart will let in." p124 Reaching for connection is a beautiful expression of empathy. I really love that this is a book about connection as much as it is about creating.
✔️"[...W]hen someone asks you to be like them, they are agents of approval and rejection. But when someone inquires into who you are, they are seeking kinship." p135 Your friends shouldn't want to control or change you, and you can reach for connection while still honoring your integrity.
✔️ "As I get older, I keep yearning for this friendship with life, which is the deeper home I am returned to when I put down all I carry, or when I quiet the noise of my mind and slow the friction of the world, or when I part the veils that keep accumulating between me and life. Our friendship with life is the ever-present sanctuary of being that waits beneath our struggles." p142
Notes:
1. Don't assume you're too young for this one; I see it as at least of passing interest to younger readers.
Thank you to the author Mark Nepo, St. Martin's Essentials, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THE FIFTH SEASON. All views are mine.
July 26, 2025
The Fifth Season is an inspirational, spiritually focused self help book. The author, Mark Nepo, is a wonderful poet as well as an articulate and inspirational writer. Having survived a rare and very serious form of cancer in his 30s, he was (by his own testimony) transformed and awakened to the preciousness of life and an appreciation for every moment. Many of us have gone through traumatic experiences that have made us more appreciative of life but few hold on to that insight for any length of time. Mark Nepo has, which is part what makes him an inspiration to me.
Another reason I value his writings is because he is talented and articulate. His poetry is moving and his non-fiction illuminative. This book is another valuable entry into his canon of work.
The title of this book, The Fifth Season, refers to a time when all the other seasons have passed and the world is in a state of both completion and emptiness. This is the metaphor Nepo uses for the process of aging. This book would be of value to people of any age but it is designed specifically for the use of older people (where I definitely belong). It is divided into sections, each one targeting a specific area of potential growth. Each chapter is headed by an inspirational quote and at the end, a quote from the chapter that sums it up. The chapters end with a homework assignment consisting of two suggested activities. Often one of the activities is writing and the other involves interacting with another person (sometimes both suggestions include sharing with someone else).
The book is interactive--like any worthwhile self-help book it's not enough to just read the book, it is important to put the suggestions into action. I could have read the book very quickly but even doing just a few of the activities extended the reading time. Since i needed to finish and write this review, I wasn't able to fully utilize this work but even the little bit I did helped me experience growth and moved the book from an intellectual to a more meaningful, emotional event. My plan is to go through this book again, taking time to engage in more of the activities. Even my limited practice showed me how much I can learn by utilizing the suggestions.
But even by mostly just reading the book I felt myself, my sense of myself as an aging woman, as a human being in the world, powerful. Nepo stresses the need for paying close attention to the world around us, surrendering to life, stepping out of our comfort zones and, above all, fostering connections with other people, animals, the earth. He urges older people to continue to be curious, to engage in new activities, explore new interests and, above all, continue to reach out and form new relationships with other people.
Finally, Nepo presents a view of the ultimate human task as becoming conscious creators of our own lives. We do not learn by thinking or talking or even reading but by taking actions--walking ourselves into new ways of being. We are all creative, he says, even if we are not officially "artisits"--we are all the artists of ourselves, creating on the canvas of our lives.
A beautiful book which, when followed even in part, opens up new ways of seeing, increases our sensitivity to ourselves and our experiences and helps us enter the stream of life and the richness that can be particularly accessible to us as we grow old. Perhaps physically more limited but able to increase depth of our experience and connections with the world, each other, and our own selves.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for making this book available to me in exchange for an honest review. The Fifth Season was published on July 15, 2025.
Another reason I value his writings is because he is talented and articulate. His poetry is moving and his non-fiction illuminative. This book is another valuable entry into his canon of work.
The title of this book, The Fifth Season, refers to a time when all the other seasons have passed and the world is in a state of both completion and emptiness. This is the metaphor Nepo uses for the process of aging. This book would be of value to people of any age but it is designed specifically for the use of older people (where I definitely belong). It is divided into sections, each one targeting a specific area of potential growth. Each chapter is headed by an inspirational quote and at the end, a quote from the chapter that sums it up. The chapters end with a homework assignment consisting of two suggested activities. Often one of the activities is writing and the other involves interacting with another person (sometimes both suggestions include sharing with someone else).
The book is interactive--like any worthwhile self-help book it's not enough to just read the book, it is important to put the suggestions into action. I could have read the book very quickly but even doing just a few of the activities extended the reading time. Since i needed to finish and write this review, I wasn't able to fully utilize this work but even the little bit I did helped me experience growth and moved the book from an intellectual to a more meaningful, emotional event. My plan is to go through this book again, taking time to engage in more of the activities. Even my limited practice showed me how much I can learn by utilizing the suggestions.
But even by mostly just reading the book I felt myself, my sense of myself as an aging woman, as a human being in the world, powerful. Nepo stresses the need for paying close attention to the world around us, surrendering to life, stepping out of our comfort zones and, above all, fostering connections with other people, animals, the earth. He urges older people to continue to be curious, to engage in new activities, explore new interests and, above all, continue to reach out and form new relationships with other people.
Finally, Nepo presents a view of the ultimate human task as becoming conscious creators of our own lives. We do not learn by thinking or talking or even reading but by taking actions--walking ourselves into new ways of being. We are all creative, he says, even if we are not officially "artisits"--we are all the artists of ourselves, creating on the canvas of our lives.
A beautiful book which, when followed even in part, opens up new ways of seeing, increases our sensitivity to ourselves and our experiences and helps us enter the stream of life and the richness that can be particularly accessible to us as we grow old. Perhaps physically more limited but able to increase depth of our experience and connections with the world, each other, and our own selves.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for making this book available to me in exchange for an honest review. The Fifth Season was published on July 15, 2025.
October 5, 2025
Mark Nepo (b. 1951) is a septuagenarian philosopher who's written and taught extensively, though his 2025 book The Fifth Season was my first exposure to him. This work is a brief (256 pages/6 hour audiobook) meditation on aging gracefully and deriving fulfillment from the decades of old age that we're never guaranteed to experience, based heavily on Nepo's personal experiences reaching his 70s and his prior experience of battling an aggressive cancer in his 30s (this long-ago cancer battle, while I'm sure is something Nepo thinks about daily, is probably mentioned 100 times in this book, which got annoying very quickly for this casual reader).
I think, for the right audience (particularly those already familiar with Nepo), this book'll land decently well; for me, it was just OK.
My statistics:
Book 303 for 2025
Book 2229 cumulatively
I think, for the right audience (particularly those already familiar with Nepo), this book'll land decently well; for me, it was just OK.
My statistics:
Book 303 for 2025
Book 2229 cumulatively
December 10, 2025
An insightful book about aging with journal prompts to do alone or in community. The writing is concise but also poetic and from a voice of authority. A passage in Mark's introduction lays out the book's premise:
"To be clear, the goal in facing aging is not to beat it, or duck it, or run from it or even to reframe it, or minimize it. The goal in facing aging is to live more fully the closer we get to death, so we can die with no feeling left unfelt, and no voice of life left unheard, and no thing in this world left unloved."
"To be clear, the goal in facing aging is not to beat it, or duck it, or run from it or even to reframe it, or minimize it. The goal in facing aging is to live more fully the closer we get to death, so we can die with no feeling left unfelt, and no voice of life left unheard, and no thing in this world left unloved."
December 30, 2025
I've tried to find a helpful book about aging, but most are either too medical or too superficial. But this one, written by the poet Mark Nepo, reads more like a set of Quaker queries. The chapters even end with journal questions and conversation topics with a close friend. Would be great for book groups and seekers interested in exploring what the mysteries of aging might mean for individuals and the collective.
September 6, 2025
I had high hopes for this book, but I found most of what I read repetative and not so much addressing the practical way to live a creative life. It was more a philosophical type of book on aging and how to rethink who you are and how you live.
There are exercices to do at the end of each chapter if you have the time and inclination to ruminate on your past.
Perhaps if your are in your 70's, like the author, then it might be more relevant to you.
Here is the book in a nutshell, as per page 36,
"What does it mean, then, to live a creative life? I think it means that we stay openhearted and wholehearted. It means that when we step toward life, life will step toward us. It means that everything before us is waiting for our inquiry and participation. It means that engagement with curiosity is what connects us in the Web of Relationship. When connected in that web, we are brought alive, kept alive, made tender and grateful."
I didn't really learn anything new from this book, but it might be good for someone.
There are exercices to do at the end of each chapter if you have the time and inclination to ruminate on your past.
Perhaps if your are in your 70's, like the author, then it might be more relevant to you.
Here is the book in a nutshell, as per page 36,
"What does it mean, then, to live a creative life? I think it means that we stay openhearted and wholehearted. It means that when we step toward life, life will step toward us. It means that everything before us is waiting for our inquiry and participation. It means that engagement with curiosity is what connects us in the Web of Relationship. When connected in that web, we are brought alive, kept alive, made tender and grateful."
I didn't really learn anything new from this book, but it might be good for someone.
June 9, 2025
Mark Nepo is my age. His questions are my questions, his concerns also concern me.
My body is showing its age. Less than a decade ago I used to walk 10,000 steps a day. Now my knees don’t like stairs or getting up from chairs. My hands have lost their strength and I can’t open jars. We installed grab bars at the entryways to the house and a walk-in shower. I know where this is going. I know my days are limited.
What do I do with the time that’s left?
I make quilts, still designing new patterns, but have given up hand quilting. I read books and continue to write and share reviews. My mind is still sharp. But hiking, singing in choirs, extensive gardening, and traveling are all behind me. Overwhelmed by expressway traffic, we even gave up season tickets to the orchestra and purchased only five concerts. One by one, some pleasures slip away. Aging, Nepo quotes Jungian analyst Helen Luke, is a journey into simplicity.
Nepo’s book looks at how to age, given the limitations and challenges of growing old. How can we live a fulfilling and creative life? How do we deal with loss? How do we embrace each stage of life with an open heart and mind? How do we stay engaged as we age?
Each chapter addresses a theme and ends with “Questions to Walk With,” activities, conversations, or journaling activities to explore the lessons offered.
Nepo, a poet and cancer survivor, writes about hard things and deep feelings and fears, drawing from literature, psychology, philosophy, and myth to illustrate his insights.
This is not a book to sped through in one reading. Take it one chapter at a time. Let the message sit in you. Return to reread it. Let yourself be open.
I am so busy living–cooking my anti-inflammatory whole foods diet, with my work as a reviewer and creative passion of quilting, sharing time with my spouse and family, that I am considering hiring a house cleaner as I can’t find time for it! I need a book like this, to slow me down, to be aware and thoughtful. So when the time comes, I can look back assured that I have used my days wisely and can accept the last, final, mystery of life.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
My body is showing its age. Less than a decade ago I used to walk 10,000 steps a day. Now my knees don’t like stairs or getting up from chairs. My hands have lost their strength and I can’t open jars. We installed grab bars at the entryways to the house and a walk-in shower. I know where this is going. I know my days are limited.
What do I do with the time that’s left?
I make quilts, still designing new patterns, but have given up hand quilting. I read books and continue to write and share reviews. My mind is still sharp. But hiking, singing in choirs, extensive gardening, and traveling are all behind me. Overwhelmed by expressway traffic, we even gave up season tickets to the orchestra and purchased only five concerts. One by one, some pleasures slip away. Aging, Nepo quotes Jungian analyst Helen Luke, is a journey into simplicity.
Nepo’s book looks at how to age, given the limitations and challenges of growing old. How can we live a fulfilling and creative life? How do we deal with loss? How do we embrace each stage of life with an open heart and mind? How do we stay engaged as we age?
Each chapter addresses a theme and ends with “Questions to Walk With,” activities, conversations, or journaling activities to explore the lessons offered.
Nepo, a poet and cancer survivor, writes about hard things and deep feelings and fears, drawing from literature, psychology, philosophy, and myth to illustrate his insights.
This is not a book to sped through in one reading. Take it one chapter at a time. Let the message sit in you. Return to reread it. Let yourself be open.
I am so busy living–cooking my anti-inflammatory whole foods diet, with my work as a reviewer and creative passion of quilting, sharing time with my spouse and family, that I am considering hiring a house cleaner as I can’t find time for it! I need a book like this, to slow me down, to be aware and thoughtful. So when the time comes, I can look back assured that I have used my days wisely and can accept the last, final, mystery of life.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
January 11, 2026
The subtitle of this book is what caught my eye: "Creativity in the Second Half of Life." I was disappointed that while the author took a broad view of creativity, it was definitely more philosophical than practical. I recently attended a seminar done by the Parker Center for Abundant Aging (fall 2025) that I found more insightful and useful.
Each of Nepo's brief chapters (around thirty) has an essay or story, a principle, and two exercises, one a journal prompt and the other a discussion prompt. Best takeaways for me, though not new or surprising: Care is the music that joins the living (123-124). Three encouragements to help against the petty voices we encounter in our minds: Seek kinship, not approval; Pick up what is heartening and put down what is disheartening; Do what matters first (161-162).
For those into self-help or a small group, this could work as a guide book or workbook.
Each of Nepo's brief chapters (around thirty) has an essay or story, a principle, and two exercises, one a journal prompt and the other a discussion prompt. Best takeaways for me, though not new or surprising: Care is the music that joins the living (123-124). Three encouragements to help against the petty voices we encounter in our minds: Seek kinship, not approval; Pick up what is heartening and put down what is disheartening; Do what matters first (161-162).
For those into self-help or a small group, this could work as a guide book or workbook.
July 26, 2025
More philosophy than information, the book was recommended by the AARP.
Nepo is a poet, which he repeatedly reminds you about. The book should be considered a series of essays ending with questions to write in your journal and to talk to a friend about. Of course, this assumes that you have a long-time close friend. Given modern life, especially for men, it makes this less valuable.
Many of the essays consist of anecdotes from his life, poems he has written, and Eastern philosophy. Research on creativity as well as on aging is not cited. So, if you are looking for more than one person's opinion than you should go elsewhere.
Nepo is a poet, which he repeatedly reminds you about. The book should be considered a series of essays ending with questions to write in your journal and to talk to a friend about. Of course, this assumes that you have a long-time close friend. Given modern life, especially for men, it makes this less valuable.
Many of the essays consist of anecdotes from his life, poems he has written, and Eastern philosophy. Research on creativity as well as on aging is not cited. So, if you are looking for more than one person's opinion than you should go elsewhere.
December 29, 2025
This is my first book by this author and I found it kind of inspiring. Nepo talks about his own encounter with cancer and how he's defining his life now. He talks about philosophers and gives exercises so readers can evaluate their own lives and goals.
I especially liked how he talked about being older and how it's still important to keep growing and loving.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this
I especially liked how he talked about being older and how it's still important to keep growing and loving.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this
September 3, 2025
This is my favorite Nepo book since The Book of Awakening. I wish I would have purchased it instead of getting a library copy. There was SO much I wanted to underline! I will probably buy a copy and read it again. The target audience is for those who are aging, but I think anyone can learn from the beautiful words in this book.
December 14, 2025
I saw other interesting and positive reviews. Although many people enjoy and learn from Mark Nepo, this was not for me. I found the book mostly a waste of time with the author repeatedly talking about himself and his trials and tribulations in a way that did not connect with me and actually rolled my eyes several times.
September 3, 2025
As I read The Fifth Season, I nodded along underlining truths of great resonance. This book offers generous wisdom and answers its poetic prayer to guide its readers in the direction of deeply loving life.
September 12, 2025
I didn’t fully grasp all that this book covers, but I really did appreciate all that I could wrap my head around. It gave to such good suggestions about how to approach things in my present and future.
January 5, 2026
Such a beautiful and peaceful reflection on living through time, and the ways life may shape us that lead us along the path of old age. I feel grateful to have been gifted this as I near my 51st year.
January 7, 2026
good, but not what the title led me to expect
I expected more specifics about creative practices and lifestyle late in life. This book isn’t that. It is a poetic and inspiring approach to finding peace with aging and death. I highlighted lots of notes to my futures self.
I expected more specifics about creative practices and lifestyle late in life. This book isn’t that. It is a poetic and inspiring approach to finding peace with aging and death. I highlighted lots of notes to my futures self.
August 10, 2025
Mark Nepo’s books are alway life changing. He puts some of the most difficult life events into perspective.
August 16, 2025
I’m sure most people would find this self help book interesting and applicable but I really struggled to make myself read it. Give me a novel any day.
October 7, 2025
If you are over 55 this one will ring true in many ways. I will definitely be passing along to others.
December 27, 2025
so good!
I continue to love & loose myself in this authors deeply profound thoughts displayed on paper! Thank you for your gifts to us💛
I continue to love & loose myself in this authors deeply profound thoughts displayed on paper! Thank you for your gifts to us💛
January 14, 2026
4.5 rounded up, because combining Mark Nepo's reflections and prompts with a passion of mine– conscious, compassionate aging– is my jam.
January 16, 2026
I’m going to chalk up the three star rating to the fact I’m not in my fifth season quite yet. I normally like Mark Nepo’s thoughts that make me ponder, but this book fell flat for me, unfortunately.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews