Must-Read Books On Aging & Attitude

Ageless Women, Timeless Wisdom; Witty, Wicked, and Wise Reflections on Well-Lived Lives by Dr. Lois Frankel. 

Dr. Frankel is a psychotherapist, executive coach, and now a documenter of women’s unique lives. The women included were septuagenarian to nonagenarian, with a few centenarians; some are from an earlier time and are deceased; others very much alive. The book opens with the Hasidic Proverb, “For the unlearned, old age is winter. For the learned, it is the season of the harvest.”

This is a treasure trove of wisdom from women who revel in their season of harvest. Full of life stories, memorable quotes, gentle advice, insights, and inspiration, the book’s text is complemented throughout by the artwork of Lisa Graves –photos of contributors, photos of nature, and charming drawings.

Perhaps the best way to introduce this book is to share some of what the women interviewed said:

• “Do a good deed and throw it in the flowing river, never expecting anything in return” – ZN, Republic of Georgia
• “If life gives you lemons…look for the vodka.” – JM, California
• “Change is the one constant. Don’t waste your time looking for stability. Stay open to whatever happens” – EM, Pennsylvania
• “Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.” – EL, Scotland
• “Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo… simple Italian phrase that means ‘lost time is never found again; do not postpone what you can do now’.” – ND, France

A beautiful homage to the wisdom and ongoing relevance and vitality of elders.

[Reviewed by Leslie Nordby, LOA's Librarian-in-Residence]

Order Ageless Women, Timeless Wisdom at our Bookshop HERE.

Alan Castel’s book on successful aging is a boon for seniors curious about how to age better and live longer. Castel is a professor of psychology at UCLA and a forward thinker in the field of aging. Better with age is a very readable book that provides an abundance of information on a variety of different aspects of aging. There is some brief information on brain function and cognition as well as memory issues that we confront as we age. His discussion on how to stay sharp as we age is worth the price of admission for this book. You can also rely on Castel to dispel some of the rumors and false narratives around brain training that has become such a big commercial success directed at seniors. This well written, well researched, and very readable book is worth reading and having in your library. 

[Reviewed by Ed Lopez, LOA Science Editor]

Order Better with Age from our Bookshop HERE.

This is a compelling book about loss, love, and one woman's courageous journey of discovering one's life purpose in the face of a world enexpectedly turned upside down. 

I had the good fortune to meet and spend two weeks with Eileen Robertson Hamra at a small, intimate retreat in Hawaii designed to create clarity and structure for adults looking for freedom and purpose in thier lives. At that time, Eileen had been widowed for less than  is a book you can't put down. You are pulled into Eileen's journey in such an intimate way that you feel as though you are part of her story. Eileen shows us all that it is possible to move forward and create a life larger and more inclusive than we have imagined, one that is filled with meaning and happiness.

This is a story that will move and inspire, no matter where you are in life. We have all experienced loss in one form or another; loss of a spouse, a parent, a loved one, or maybe a reversal of fortune that shakes us to the core.  A Time to Fly: Life and Love After Loss is a book you can't put down. You are pulled into Eileen's journey in such an intimate way you feel as though you are part of her story. Eileen shows us all that it is possible to move forward and create a life larger and more inclusive than we have imagined, one that is filled with meaning and happiness.

[Reviewed by Liz Dietz, LOA Co-Founder]

Order Time to Fly from our Bookshop HERE.

Opening the Door to Health and Longevity

From renowned integrative medicine doctor Frank Lipman, MD, and co-author Danielle Claro, comes a radically simple program to reverse the symptoms we reflexively call “normal aging,” including feeling achy, stiff, sluggish, weak, and vulnerable to chronic illness. This improves not only our life span but, more importantly, our health span—our quality of life and how we feel.

Built on a series of lifestyle changes that energize the body and build and strengthen its immune system, The New Rules of Aging Well is based on ancient wisdom backed up by science: Eat less and practice intermittent fasting. Do 20 minutes a day of something meditative. Switch to gentler workouts, but move as much as possible. Unlock the incredible power of mushrooms. Grow your tribe. Walk barefoot when you can.

The result: a rejuvenated you that looks great and feels healthy, happy, sexy, agile, and strong.

[Reviewed by Liz Dietz, LOA Co-Founder]

Order The New Rules of Aging Well at our Bookshop HERE.

One Christmas, I gifted Jean-Pierre Weill’s The Well of Being: A Picture Book for Adults (Flatiron Books, 2016) to a number of friends. I had stumbled upon it when I was devouring hundreds of picture books for children as part of my MFA studies. With one or two lines of text per double-page spread, The Well of Being is indeed a picture book. Only, rather than filling 32 pages, Weill’s masterpiece tops out at nearly 200. And every page is exquisite.

So I added it to my collection, where it sat untouched for many months. Then, one day, it found its way back into my hands, filling my artists’ well and reminding me of what I know to be true: “Well-being is generated not from the outside but from the inside.”

As he puzzles and paints his way through an intimate, layered, and often humorous exploration of the nature of being, Weill’s spare, lyrical text and evocative watercolor illustrations provoke, inspire, and delight me. Every time I open it, I discover something new on the page – a word, a phrase, a color, a texture – that touches and uplifts me.

As the year came to a close, I was compelled to put Weill’s magical exploration of being into new hands, and my friends immediately began gifting the book to others. The Well of Being is that kind of book.

Weill writes: “We appreciate the fleeting marginal things scattered everywhere. And when there’s drama about, we remain at home in the world."  Yes, we do.

[Reviewed by Maureen Charles, LOA Co-Founder]

Order The Well of Being from our Bookshop HERE.