It’s okay to admit it: Getting older can be an unsettling process. The mirror reveals new wrinkles, more gray hair appears out of nowhere, and aches and pains become more commonplace. Indeed, aging is not for the faint of heart.
But there’s another side to getting older, one that inspires humor, wisdom, and a love of life. Indeed, with the right perspective, each passing year can be better and happier than the last. So if you’re ready to find joy in getting older, start by checking out the five timeless reads below.
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Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer
By Steven Johnson
All the advances of modern life—the medical breakthroughs, the public health institutions, the rising standards of living—have doubled human life expectancy in just one hundred years. Extra Life is the story of how that happened, and how we might live even longer in the future.
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
By Nora Ephron
With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron offers a candid, witty look at women who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself. View on Amazon
Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives
By Daniel Levitin
Using research from developmental neuroscience and the psychology of individual differences, Levitin reveals resilience strategies and practical, cognitive enhancing tricks everyone should do as they age. Watch an Excerpt from Our Video E-Course
Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who’s Been There
By Tara Schuster
Brutally honest, often hilarious, hard-won lessons in learning to love and care for yourself from a former vice president at Comedy Central. View on Amazon
Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning
By Tom Vanderbilt
When we’re kids, we constantly try new hobbies, sports, and activities. So why do we stop trying new things in adulthood? In Beginners, acclaimed journalist Tom Vanderbilt contends that you’re never too old to learn something new.
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