Myra Smith’s book about aging will tickle the funny bone of all readers, but particularly members of the Baby Boomer generation. From falls, weight loss plans, memory loss, tech issues and goofy vacation scenarios, to scary doctor visits, surgeries, and hobbies gone bad, Myra has done it all. Her husband tolerates the trail of card stickers and loss of personal fortune from her card “business”; her grown children maintain their dignity when she asks stupid questions such as, “What day of the week does Thanksgiving fall on?” and “Where is the Alamo Dome?” They save their hysteria about the fact that their mother doesn’t know she has a garage door opener, and thinks ‘cut and paste’ is only for elementary students. Her grandkids endure her ignorance about technology and her dim knowledge of fairies, Disney characters, Lego construction, magna tiles and superheroes. They graciously instruct her on as many of these topics as her small memory allows. Her friends accompany her on shopping trips, and listen to her horror stories about doctor visits and surgery. When she refers to their grandchildren by saying, “Oh she is adorable, and “He is getting so big!”, they share a knowing smile. They don’t laugh when she sports a new blouse with the XL label in full view, or shows up with lipstick smeared on her face. Myra’s book is a tell-all about getting older, but not wiser. It’s a funny romp through time that is flying by at record speed. The bad news is that sooner or later, we will all fall into old age. The good news is that we can laugh at ourselves in the process.

Author, activist, and TED speaker Ashton Applewhite has written a rousing manifesto calling for an end to discrimination and prejudice on the basis of age. In our youth obsessed culture, we’re bombarded by media images and messages about the despairs and declines of our later years. Beauty and pharmaceutical companies work overtime to convince people to purchase products that will retain their youthful appearance and vitality. Wrinkles are embarrassing. Gray hair should be colored and bald heads covered with implants. Older minds and bodies are too frail to keep up with the pace of the modern working world and olders should just step aside for the new generation. Ashton Applewhite once held these beliefs too until she realized where this prejudice comes from and the damage it does. Lively, funny, and deeply researched, This Chair Rocks traces her journey from apprehensive boomer to pro-aging radical, and in the process debunks myth after myth about late life. Explaining the roots of ageism in history and how it divides and debases, Applewhite examines how ageist stereotypes cripple the way our brains and bodies function, looks at ageism in the workplace and the bedroom, exposes the cost of the all-American myth of independence, critiques the portrayal of elders as burdens to society, describes what an all-age-friendly world would look like, and offers a rousing call to action. It’s time to create a world of age equality by making discrimination on the basis of age as unacceptable as any other kind of bias. Whether you’re older or hoping to get there, this book will shake you by the shoulders, cheer you up, make you mad, and change the way you see the rest of your life. Age pride! “Wow. This book totally rocks. It arrived on a day when I was in deep confusion and sadness about my age. Everything about it, from my invisibility to my neck. Within four or five wise, passionate pages, I had found insight, illumination, and inspiration. I never use the word empower, but this book has empowered me.” —Anne Lamott, New York Times bestselling author

For fans of David Sedaris and Nora Ephron, a humorous, irreverent, and poignant look at the gifts, stereotypes, and inevitable challenges of aging, based on award-winning journalist Steven Petrow's wildly popular New York Times essay, "Things I'll Do Differently When I Get Old." Soon after his 50th birthday, Petrow began assembling a list of “things I won’t do when I get old”—mostly a catalog of all the things he thought his then 70-something year old parents were doing wrong. That list, which included “You won’t have to shout at me that I’m deaf,” and “I won’t blame the family dog for my incontinence,” became the basis of this rousing collection of do’s and don’ts, wills and won’ts that is equal parts hilarious, honest, and practical. The fact is, we don’t want to age the way previous generations did. “Old people” hoard. They bore relatives—and strangers alike—with tales of their aches and pains. They insist on driving long after they’ve become a danger to others (and themselves). They eat dinner at 4pm. They swear they don’t need a cane or walker (and guess what happens next). They never, ever apologize. But there is another way... In Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old, Petrow candidly addresses the fears, frustrations, and stereotypes that accompany aging. He offers a blueprint for the new old age, and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same. As he writes, “I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder—to me—to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to ‘old.’” Getting older is a privilege. This essential guide reveals how to do it with grace, wisdom, humor, and hope. And without hoarding. Praise for Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old: “Unbelievably witty and relatable, I alternated bursting into laughter and placing my hand over my face in horror thinking, Oh my God, is that me? I often say, at this age we have something young people can never have…wisdom. My dear friend, Steven Petrow, has wisdom to share in this honest, funny, wry guide to keep us young at heart, without desperately hanging onto our youth. I am buying this book for all of my friends!” —Suzanne Somers, New York Times bestselling author of A New Way to Age “Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old is an irreverent, funny, honest look at aging and all the things we take for granted as normal parts of aging. They don’t need to be. If you struggle with getting older and want to find a fresh perspective on lessons learned about what NOT to do as we age, and what TO do to stay young in heart, spirit, mind and body, read this book.” —Mark Hyman, MD, #1 New York Times bestseller author of The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet, and Head of Strategy and Innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. “Steven Petrow resolved to do things differently than his parents had when he gets old because he wished they’d been able to enjoy life more. His solution? He created a list! In this book, he shares the secrets to living a full life regardless of our age. It's all about the decisions we make every day. My advice in a nutshell: Read this book and keep it handy.” —“Dear Abby” (Jeanne Phillips), nationally syndicated advice columnist “It’s never too early to imagine what your life will look like as you age. And as I once wrote, ‘We are not hostages to our fate.’ Petrow’s book will help you plan, think, and redefine what it means to get older—and even laugh while doing it.” —Andrew Weil, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Spontaneous Healing and Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being “Steven Petrow not only has a great attitude about life, he is wise about how to live it. Like me, he says we should embrace our one life 100% and not let a number—our age—get in the way of anything! Steven’s book will help you rethink the word “aging” and approach this next chapter with a positive and proactive attitude. Plus, this book is fun!” —Denise Austin, renowned fitness expert, author, and columnist “Steven’s writing feels like sitting with a friend—one who is unusually gracious, warm and frank.” —Carolyn Hax, author of the nationally syndicated advice column, Carolyn Hax Praise for Steven Petrow: "Steven Petrow's Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners helps gays and straights navigate the subtleties of the same-sex world." —People "Move over, Emily Post! When it comes to etiquette for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community—as well as their straight friends, family members and coworkers--author and journalist Steven Petrow is the authority." —TIME "What could've easily become a novelty book has emerged as an exhaustively researched, essential resource thanks to advice columnist and etiquette expert Steven Petrow." —The Advocate "From having kids to planning funerals, Steven Petrow's Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners has most facets of gay life covered. Ms. Post would approve." —Entertainment Weekly "An indispensable refresher course...on what's proper in modern...life." —Kirkus Reviews

Baby boomers are aging and retiring, creating the largest group of seniors the world has ever known. This trend has adult children looking at uncertain futures of meeting their retirement goals while providing care for their aging parents. Old age doesn't come with a handbook on how to handle the speed bumps of elder care, leaving us with difficult questions like; Is it time for our elder to hang up the car keys? How to deal with hospital stays and doctor's appointments? What happens if they get dementia? Should they live with us, or a care facility? How to deal with caregiver stress and burnout? 63% of caregivers die before the care receiver from depression related illness like suicide, strokes, and heart disease. This is a “must read” for anyone who chooses to not only survive care giving, but have it enrich their lives.

All this talk of falling sounds terrible, doesn't it? No worries - in these pages you will learn why people fall, what happens if you do fall and what can be done to prevent the fall in the first place. You will be more knowledgeable about warning signs of those at risk for falling. We will examine those risk signs of someone who falls, medical conditions that predispose people to falling, how we can correct these problems and the best strategies for fall prevention. We will discuss how to make your home as fall-proof as possible, how to reduce fracture risks in general, what to look for in a loved one at risk for falling and how to best help them stay out of the emergency room and my operating room. Most importantly we will teach you some simple exercises to improve your general health, physical fitness and sport performance all while reducing your risk of falling.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

The life of John Lothrop Motley is a subject that has been too long ignored by biographers. Certainly, he is one of our most distinguished authors and, in the opinion of this writer, he can be fairly ranked in eminence to the historian of the Mexican Conquest, William H. Pres cott. To a large extent, Motley's adult life revolved around some of the most important and curious scenes of American history, particularly the Civil War. During this time he held the post of an Ambassador of the United States, and, by his individual efforts, aided substantially the Federal war effort. It is chiefly, however, as an Historian that Motley deserves to be recommended to the attention of the public. Motley's theme was the struggle for national and individual human liberty, which, as he conceived it, was the greatest of human blessings. The story of The Rise of The Dutch Republic, against one of the greatest tyrannies, both political and religious, ever exercised by men over men, is not only one the great stories of history, but reflects perfectly Motley's own high of aspirations for his fellow-man.