Listen to Episode 4 of Slate’s new podcast, The Afterword:

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Thanks to the baby boomers, the middle-aged now make up the biggest, richest, and most influential segment of the country. New York Times reporter Patricia Cohen’s new book In Our Prime: The Invention of Middle Age is a social history of the concept of middle age, which explores the way its biological, psychological, and social definitions have shifted from one generation to the next. The discussion lasts around 27 minutes.

The Afterword, which will appear in the Slate daily feed every other Saturday, features interviews with the authors of new nonfiction books.

The show’s email address is slateafterword@gmail.com.

Podcast produced by June Thomas. The executive producer of Slate’s podcasts is Andy Bowers.