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Rating: 
Summary: I'm Glad I Found Out Now
Review: Aging Well opened my eyes to the realities of aging, what one can expect, and how to accomplish the inevitable with grace. Hitting mid-life, beginning to see age ahead, and full of society's usual misconceptions, I read this at a very opportune time. I passed it on to people who work with the elderly, who have found Ms. Hills' insights, and her wide reading in the field, invaluable resources to their work. To find, in one place, the whole current field of thought on aging is so very valuable. A must for anyone over 19!
Rating:
Summary: I'm Glad I Found Out Now
Review: Aging Well opened my eyes to the realities of aging, what one can expect, and how to accomplish the inevitable with grace. Hitting mid-life, beginning to see age ahead, and full of society's usual misconceptions, I read this at a very opportune time. I passed it on to people who work with the elderly, who have found Ms. Hills' insights, and her wide reading in the field, invaluable resources to their work. To find, in one place, the whole current field of thought on aging is so very valuable. A must for anyone over 19!
Rating: 
Summary: Who I am, why I wrote the book, why you will enjoy it.
Review: I wrote this book as much for myself as for you, my readers. As I started along the path of my own later years, I was wondering what would lie ahead for me, just as you wonder what life will bring you. And so I asked those who have been there! I was so surprised and pleased by what I discovered about the possibilities for the years ahead that I simply had to share it with others. Hence this book.At 62, I had just remarried, retired from the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and moved up to Warwick, a delightful little hill town in north central Massachusetts. I had trailered my two horses up with us, and for the first time would be responsible personally for their care. What would life be like? Would I simply ride horseback every day, while my body grew older and finally gave up? Would that be it? What indeed could the years ahead hold beyond simply taking care of my aging body and amusing myself? To find the answers, I first listened to and observed the many elderly clients of two programs for the elderly, whom I now have visited weekly as a volunteer counselor over the past 6 years. Next, I delved into the growing body of English-language literature on aging, both fiction and nonfiction, most written by articulate, thoughtful, and sensitive people in their 70's, 80's, and even 90's during the past hundred years or so. What wonderful surprises I found there! Finally, I interviewed in person local people over 80 who seemed to be leading fulfilling lives. The most important discovery has been that our later years differ greatly from those that have gone before. While there are many challenges, there are also new joys if we look for them. My book offers a preview of those special joys and a sketch of the new spiritual dimension of life available in our later years. Not ignoring the difficulties of aging, it analyzes the challenges that occur and the ways others have met them. It provides facts to ally fears of dementia, dependence, nursing homes, and dying, along with common-sense remedies for loneliness, boredom, and depression. A last chapter includes insights and suggestions for those who provide support for the elderly, based on my own experiences. An extensive annotated bibliography completes the book. Reviewers' comments for "Aging Well" include the following: It is "a distillation of observations on her own aging, of her work as a volunteer, and of the wit and wisdom of people, living and dead, who have something insightful to impart on the subject. Although the product of a great deal of research, the book is written in plain English, crisp and workmanlike, devoid of jargon." "It invites us to do the inner work of embracing aging and to choose to age with humor, creativity, and adventure." "This well-researched volume is readable and essential for all of us working with the elderly." "Her many stories and quotations show what it feels like to grow old and what helps or hinders the process. Her balanced discussion of the spiritual aspects of aging is especially inspiring." (Try it -- you'll be glad you did!)
Rating:
Summary: A reassuring look ahead
Review: In one place, a eview of all the latest thinking on aging, thoughtfully presented with lots of original insights. As I hit midlife, this book gave me lots of reason to look forward to greater maturity, with both its trials and its rewards.
Rating:
Summary: A reassuring look ahead
Review: In one place, a eview of all the latest thinking on aging, thoughtfully presented with lots of original insights. As I hit midlife, this book gave me lots of reason to look forward to greater maturity, with both its trials and its rewards.
Rating:
Summary: If you've got parents you need this book!
Review: Simply one of the best, down to earth discussions of the emotional difficulties associated with aging, and solid suggestions of how to overcome them, or help someone else do so.
Rating:
Summary: A summary of the challenges and special joys of aging
Review: With candor and insight, the author analyzes firsthand descriptions of the experience of aging discovered in selected writings, personal interviews, and her work as counselor and companion to individuals over eighty. She provides a summary of the challenges and special joys of aging, plus practical suggestions for living spiritually and fully in one's later years.
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