Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but a bit misleading.
Review: Based on the title, I was truly expecting to read the "wisdom of the ages." Unfortunately, other than a few snippets and a couple of generalizations, the majority of this book is centered on the frustrations of obtaining the knowledge being sought and the process by which the author was able to acquire some patience with the elderly. To the author's credit, she mentions that this is how the book will transpire early on. To the author's discredit, she never changed the title appropriately. Kudos to the power of marketing and a lesson for those considering this title, "Read the reviews."
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but a bit misleading.
Review: Based on the title, I was truly expecting to read the "wisdom of the ages." Unfortunately, other than a few snippets and a couple of generalizations, the majority of this book is centered on the frustrations of obtaining the knowledge being sought and the process by which the author was able to acquire some patience with the elderly. To the author's credit, she mentions that this is how the book will transpire early on. To the author's discredit, she never changed the title appropriately. Kudos to the power of marketing and a lesson for those considering this title, "Read the reviews."
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but a bit misleading.
Review: Based on the title, I was truly expecting to read the "wisdom of the ages." Unfortunately, other than a few snippets and a couple of generalizations, the majority of this book is centered on the frustrations of obtaining the knowledge being sought and the process by which the author was able to acquire some patience with the elderly. To the author's credit, she mentions that this is how the book will transpire early on. To the author's discredit, she never changed the title appropriately. Kudos to the power of marketing and a lesson for those considering this title, "Read the reviews."
Rating: 
Summary: Longevity
Review: Ellis produced a program for National Public Radio for which she interviewed people who were a hundred years old or older. She interviewed a wide variety including Margaret Rawson (a world-renowned expert on dyslexia), Ruth Ellis (the oldest living lesbian), Sadie and Gilbert Hill (married for over eighty years). At first, Ellis is focussed on the historical aspects of their lives, but soon finds herself on a personal journey of her own, where she connects to them as individuals alive in the world and begins to see how looking forward, not backward, is a secret to longevity, as is living in the here and now. More of a story of Ellis herself than the centenarians she met, "If I Live to Be 100" is a surprisingly luminous memoir that charms the reader and opens the mind to what it means to be really alive.
Rating: 
Summary: a wonderful book
Review: I enjoyed reading this book very much. It is filled with stories about interesting people who have lived incredible lives Neenah Ellis is a journalist who spent an unforgettable year travelling the country listening to the stories of people who have reached the age of 100 and beyond for a National Public Radio series. I truly believe now that the secret to a long happy life is to stay active either mentally or physically. The people in this book can all attest to that. This book profiles educators like Margaret Rawson who published a book about dyslexia and her work in the field at the age of 96. Abraham Goldstein is a dedicated professor who has taught law for 70 years. I loved the story of Anna Wilmot who stayed active by paddling a rowboat and going skinny dipping.I also enjoyed the story of Ruth Ellis who was the oldest black lesbian. She was an accomplished public speaker and gay activist who made 100 appearances in a 1 year speaking on college campuses and gay functions all over the country. Ruth Ellis achievements have not gone unnoticed as a film has been made about her life. The story of Louisiana Hines is interesting because her grandfather was a slave. She can vividly recall how blacks were lynched for preaching about equality in the early years of the 20th century. Roy Stamper became a successful horse trainer He also developed a love for preaching despite having only 4 years of formal education. Roy Stamper proved that it is never too late to fall in love, because he got married at the age of 101. Sadie and Gilbert Hill were married for an amazing 81 years. The secret to their long marriage can be summed up in one word together. They did everything together from cooking to shopping to dancing. This couple even worked together as farm caretakers milking cows and herding cattle. I loved the story of Harry Shapiro whose life has been prolonged and enriched by his passion to paint. If I live to be 100 is a wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring stories
Review: I work in healthcare; specifically with geriatric patient's, so this book was of great interest to me when I heard it was coming out. Neenah Ellis worked for NPR News in the past, and this was the other reason I wanted to read this book. It's basically a compilation of stories about 100 year olds, their lives, and what makes them "tick". Overall, I really enjoyed this book and Ms. Ellis' writing style. But, I was hoping for a bit more of "how" these people got to be 100. What was their secret for longevity? She was able to ascertain this from some of the centenarians, but not everyone. I also thought she covered a wide variety of individuals, from a very funny lesbian to a conservative Christian. Still, it was an inspiring read that gives anyone hope for life after retirment.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring stories
Review: I work in healthcare; specifically with geriatric patient's, so this book was of great interest to me when I heard it was coming out. Neenah Ellis worked for NPR News in the past, and this was the other reason I wanted to read this book. It's basically a compilation of stories about 100 year olds, their lives, and what makes them "tick". Overall, I really enjoyed this book and Ms. Ellis' writing style. But, I was hoping for a bit more of "how" these people got to be 100. What was their secret for longevity? She was able to ascertain this from some of the centenarians, but not everyone. I also thought she covered a wide variety of individuals, from a very funny lesbian to a conservative Christian. Still, it was an inspiring read that gives anyone hope for life after retirment.
Rating:
Summary: Listening to the Past, Present, and Future
Review: Neenah Ellis, a producer for National Public Radio, has said that she wants to live to be one hundred. So with that mentality, she decides to make a radio series idolizing centenarians, or individuals over one hundred years of age. She spends an incredible year interviewing 15 centenarians, learning about their past, their present and their future. Ellis travels to New England to meet spunky, 103 year old Anna Wilmot on the day of her birthday. She finds that Anna still has her drivers license, rows her boat daily, and even goes skinny-dipping occasionally when fishermen are not around. R.L. Stamper is another centenarian with a unique story. At age one hundred and three, R.L. feels lonely and longs for the care and comfort of a woman. Being a very Christian man, he believes that the end is near and wants to get married before his time is up. Love eventually finds him in the form of an eighty year old, Louisiana woman. These are just two of the fifteen stories that are in If I Live To Be 100 by Neenah Ellis.
The stories in this book are a treat to read. They come alive with the dialog of the unique individuals. We can feel the emotion Neenah feels as she falls into the moments. My only disregard was for the title. Picking up the book and reading the title, I expected to be learning about "how" to live to be one hundred. After reading a few chapters, I learned that this was not the author's intent. She mainly told the centenarians' stories, mostly of their pasts, as much as they could remember. She wrote a lot about her frustration of obtaining a "good" story from the individuals, and how old age affects this process. To the authors' credit, the stories were well written.
Rating: 
Summary: Properly titled
Review: This book is properly titled "If I Live To Be 100," because it is not, in fact, about the centenarians Neenah Ellis interviewed. It is about Neenah Ellis, her worries about growing old, her worries about dying alone, her worries about her family, her worries about leaving behind a legacy through her work. In short, this book is about midlife, not about old age.
Four major criticisms:
1. Neenah Ellis claims, "I feel comfortable with [centenarians] physically. I like it when they want to hold my hand and sit close because they can't hear or see. I like the cool, slippery skin on their hands and the way their eyes light up."
a) Patronizing and ageist! If you do not understand what I mean, replace "centenarians" with "kids with Down's syndrome," or "disabled people," and read the paragraph again.
b) Not true! Time and again throughout the book, Ellis flees from the dying, the frail, and the demented. The only centenarians she feels comfortable with are those who are hale and hearty-a distinct minority of this demographic group.
2. Ellis writes, "This is my story about learning to listen." I submit that she didn't learn much. If the centenarians told her anything, it was, "We're tired of people who are interested in us only because we're 100 years old. We're not circus freaks." Does Ellis hear this? No.
3. This book could have been much better had Ellis consulted someone trained in interview methods before beginning the project. Three-quarters of the way through the book, Ellis has the revelation that one of her African American interviewees might be unwilling to disclose because the interviewer (Ellis) is White. This major problem, and others Ellis encountered, could have easily been avoided.
4. Ellis's stab at linking her interviews to science is halfhearted. She writes about one book authored by biological and clinical psychologists. Important, certainly, but a small part of the picture. Where was the information from sociology, history, other areas of psychology, and most importantly, gerontology?
In sum: I can't figure out why Ellis bothered to write this book, so I can't figure out why to recommend that you bother to read it.
Rating:
Summary: She's captured the "real" Anna Wilmot!
Review: When I met Neenah must have been the morning after she had camped under Anna's window. I too was awake early the August morning, waiting for Anna to come home from her morning row. It was the day after one of her many birthday parties, and I wanted to tell her how nice she looked on the tv. I hopped on my boat just as Anna was nearing the shore and cruised my way over there before she started up her hill.
Anna introduced me to Neenah, saying that Neenah was going to share my dear Anna with the rest of the world. And after reading this book, I'm here to tell you that Neenah has truly captured the real Anna.
I'll admit I originally only bought this book to read about my friend, but I found myself drawn to all of the Centenarians and the stories they had to share. In the mean time I learned things about Anna that I never knew. I never knew Anna's husband Fred. He had died before I was born! Anna was my favorite babysitter (when she was 70 something, and I was in grade school).
She is still in fine health all though her hearing is going and her knees are bad. She often calls me up to find out how my love life is going. Anna has promised to dance at my wedding, and I'm going to hold her to that. But she has told me that she's getting tired so I better get to it!!! And just remember this....
Don't eat the fish!!!
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