Wise: Finding Purpose, Meaning and Wisdom Beyond the Midpoint of Life

by Frank Tallis

'Transformative . . . gripping . . . sincerely recommended' GUARDIAN

'Frank Tallis is one of the most insightful psychologists of our time . . . Wise is for anyone, young or old, in search of happiness' JACK SYMES

'This is a rich and beautiful book' GWEN ADSHEAD, author of THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

We are living longer and our lifespan after the middle years continues to extend due to medical advances. But how do you age wisely? How do you remain psychologically healthy and fully engaged given the immense and daunting challenges of later life - accumulated regrets, loss, disappointments, physical deterioration, and mortality?

From ancient Greece to the 21st century, the greatest philosophers and psychologists have considered these questions, and remarkably, their opinions converge. There is a single essential task - integration - that once accomplished, equips us to cope with the many problems we are likely to encounter as we get older. What's more, their insights are supported by cutting-edge neuroscience. Exploring the common ground shared by the Stoics and the Existentialists, William James and CG Jung, Iain McGilchrist and Daniel Siegel, clinical psychologist Frank Tallis has written his own essential alternative to the standard self-help prescriptions.

Frank Tallis takes on such questions as how we can embrace and accept our mortality when our brains are hard-wired to resist it, how we can achieve meaning in our lives, and how we can understand the passage of time and make the most of it. It's immensely readable whilst also intelligent and thought-provoking.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Philosophy

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 5, 2026

About the author

Aka F.R. Tallis.

Dr. Frank Tallis is a writer and clinical psychologist. He has held lecturing posts in clinical psychology and neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry and King's College, London. He has written self help manuals (How to Stop Worrying, Understanding Obsessions and Compulsions) non-fiction for the general reader (Changing Minds, Hidden Minds, Love Sick), academic text books and over thirty academic papers in international journals. Frank Tallis' novels are: KILLING TIME (Penguin), SENSING OTHERS (Penguin), MORTAL MISCHIEF (Arrow), VIENNA BLOOD (Arrow), FATAL LIES (Arrow), and DARKNESS RISING (Arrow). The fifth volume of the Liebermann Papers, DEADLY COMMUNION, will be published in 2010. In 1999 he received a Writers' Award from the Arts Council of Great Britain and in 2000 he won the New London Writers' Award (London Arts Board). In 2005 MORTAL MISCHIEF was shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award.

Reviews

[Franziska B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book resonated with me, and I enjoyed the insights Tallis shared from multiple ways of living about the 2nd half of life. He goes through the definitions of wise, which I enjoyed, and shares ways to avoid bitterness. I'd recommend this book as it inspires reflection.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after reading a review in the Guardian. I am not sure what I was expecting. I feared it might be a sappy self help book but it was not that at all. This is an exploration in our understanding of the purpose and wisdom of aging. Very positive and inspiring.

[Beth Easton · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I found the first chapter slow and didn’t agree with some of it- following this I then really got into the book- found it intriguing and resonated with some of my own lived experience as well as inspiring- wrote down a few quotes
It led me to consider a new course which I will be beginning very soon! Exciting

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

More a review of the relevant philosophy than a self help book, and that’s how I like it.

[Kent Winward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice overview of psychoanalysis as it relates to aging. Not exactly as described in the title, but a great historical overview.

[Olivier Santamaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wise by Frank Tallis is an invitation to spend more time understanding ourselves as we get older and seeking harmony between our conscious self and unconscious self. To achieve a life of meaning, one must take time to reflect, to wonder, to connect with the broader world in a more spiritual way. Being more open to new experiences and less concerned with our ego helps on the path to self actualisation.

I found this book really empowering and insightful. This is not a self help book in the conventional use of the term but more so a review of the various schools of thoughts from ancient Greeks to modern philosophy on what it means to achieve wisdom.

While there are guiding principles that can be followed to seek greater wisdom in the second half of our life, the journey to wisdom is mostly individual.

The book is full of insightful knowledge and is very well written and structured. I was left excited about the future and encouraged to explore life more deeply, with less fear and anxiety.

[Robert Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulously researched and very clearly argued, this is genuinely a book for everyone and one that may enable the reader to live an examined and meaningful life. The evolution of psychological theory and the current knowledge of neuroscience are both given generous attention. The final chapter “how it works” pulls together all the accumulated wisdom of the author and distills it into a very comprehensive guide on how to achieve personhood.
A quote from the concluding chapter- “ the whole life of the individual is nothing but the process of giving birth to himself; indeed,we should be fully born when we die- although it is the tragic fate of most Individuals to die before they are born” : Erich Fromm “ The Sane Society”

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The right book at the right time.

[Thomas Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the tone and perspective that this book brought to a subject I'm invested in at the moment. The audible version is also narrated well with warmth.

[Peter Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is clearly a very smart guy, I found the style a little convoluted and began thinking maybe I’m just not smart enough to follow this but it grew into a better grasp. The subtitle will pull people in but be ready for a tougher read than you think. It’s not a self help book in an action oriented style but I was pleased to grasp I seem to be doing more of the suggested stuff than I thought.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to buy multiple copies of this book for my friends above age 50. This book is thoughtful, insightful, and ... wise? The gentle voice of the audiobook is a plus. I would recommend it to anyone interested in philosophy and psychology.

[Karen Maxwell · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

This is a book to make one reflect. It is not a self help book. The book won't make you wise but following up on some of the philosophy and physiology with a heavy dose of self reflection may.

[Ian Pierce-Hayes · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

A well researched and thought provoking book about the challenges in the second and final part of your life.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very wise book, beautifully written.