This is a positive, empowering book for those beginning to consider the challenges of aging for themselves or for relatives.

The sections address the important issues for those aging or caring for aging relatives.

There is good information about health and fitness, personal empowerment, travel, volunteering, and grandparenting.

There is also excellent information on how to avoid those things that elderly people are challenged by, scams, depression, fear, grief.

I would recommend this book to those becoming aware of their own aging and finding themselves concerned about their relatives.

The book is written in a clear, easy to understand style.

An excellent book to help channel your inner little old lady. Broad and very pragmatic and practical advice on inevitable changes in the stages of life. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the obvious and the fact that we need to prepare for them. The resource section in the back of the book is particularly valuable. ( )

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of subjects the author covered. I have never seen her column, and found this book very useful reading. I am only 46, but so far I have NOT been aging gracefully. I have had some severe accidents which led to a lot of health complications; I am already feeling a lot older than I am because of health problems. When I picked up this book I realized that if I don't make a lot of changes in my lifestyle NOW I am just going to make things worse as the years go by. I loved the section on age proofing my home because I have already learned (the hard way!) about the need for safety bars in the shower, a good fire-extinguisher in the kitchen, and getting rid of “trip hazards” around the house.
Another surprise for me were the sections on age-proofing my home, road safety, safety away from home, and avoiding scams and frauds. As an advocate who works with the elderly and disabled, I see these things as very big issues for the elderly, but I have never yet seen them in any book on aging and health. However, all of these things can dramatically and negatively impact health, especially because we become more fragile as we age, and the trauma of a slip/fall in the home, or being conned out of our money can really be devastating. I have seen how hard it is for people to cope with these things too many times, and I really don’t want to become a victim myself.
Having read the book, I highly recommend it, but not to people 65 or older. I think it is far better to start earlier and prevent a lot of these problems, so please read this in your 40's and 50's and get an early start! If nothing else, you can use the section to make your home safe for elderly visitors. ( )

As we baby boomers approach retirement age, especially now that the economy has done a one-eighty with our 401Ks in tow, we are becoming more nervous about what it means to grow older and how to get as much out of the rest of our lives as possible. Of course, we thought we would live forever and "never trust anyone over thirty," but we were fooled. Here we are approaching 60, and without the foundations our parents had by surviving the depression intact. Some of the information is just surface, however, though there are resources in the back. At least it is a good book to start with, albeit late in the game. ( )

Living Agelessly is a book for people who haven't given any thought to the implications and practicalities of aging. Altoonian, who is the author of a syndicated newspaper column on aging, covers topics like diet, exercise, safety, volunteer work, and grandparenting. I have to say that the coverage is pretty superficial and no more than common sense. Two pieces of advice that I love are 1) 'It's imperative that grab bars [in the bathroom] remain stationary when someone pulls on them', and 2) '...we often take breathing for granted. This is a terrible mistake'.

Again, this book would be helpful for the relatively uninformed. And it includes an extensive list of print and Internet resources ( )