The Book

 

 

After a chance encounter with an extraordinary ninety year-old woman, renowned gerontologist Karl Pillemer began to wonder what older people know about life that the  rest of us don’t.

 His quest led him to interview more than one thousand Americans over the age of sixty-five to seek their advice on all the big issues – children, marriage, money, career, aging. Their stories of love, loss, and hope in the face of struggle often surprised him with their uncompromising honesty and clarity about what matters most. And he found himself consistently hearing advice that pointed to these thirty lessons for living. Here he weaves their personal recollections of lives well lived into a timeless book filled with the hard-won advice these older Americans wish someone had given them when they were young.

Advance praise for 30 Lessons for Living:
 
“Thank you, Dr. Pillemer, for gathering all this wisdom in one book before it is lost.  I can’t imagine anyone whose life will not be enriched by this book.” — Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People 
              
“The “Wisest Americans” have a lot to teach the rest of us. Some of this advice is refreshing common sense. Much of it is truly surprising. It is always heartfelt and ever-endearing — equal parts information and inspiration.  This is a book to keep by your bedside and return to often.”– Amy Dickinson, nationally syndicated advice columnist “Ask Amy”
 
“This is a fabulous book! Karl Pillemer has done an incredible job of bringing together the collective wisdom of hundreds of Americans into an entertaining, thought provoking, and practical book. Give it a read. You will find yourself getting out of bed in the morning with new enthusiasm.”  — Matthew Kelly, author of The Rhythm of Life and Off Balance
 
“30 lessons for Living is an absolute gem!  Thank you Karl Pillemer for taking the time to collect such a valuable trove of wisdom, and for sharing it with us in such a readable book.  It’s one that I’ll recommend often.  All of it is wonderful, but I particularly appreciated the lessons on honesty and saying yes to opportunities.  Read this book – you’ll get more out of life and have fewer regrets.” — Hal Urban, author of Life’s Greatest Lessons
 
“If you want to hear the wisdom of the aged, this easy-to-read book, based on years of penetrating interviews by a prominent sociologist, tells you what they have learned about love, work, marriage, and parenting.” — Howard S. Friedman, Ph.D. & Leslie R. Martin, Ph.D., authors of The Longevity Project
 
“As he dispenses concrete, practical advice on how to make the most of our lives, Cornell gerontologist Pillemer turns for answers to our elders—those he believes are the experts, with the enormous advantage of life experience, whose limits have been tested by illness, danger, failure, oppression, and loss. His approximately 1,000 Americans age 65 and older from around the country and many walks of life share personal memories to explain what is important for a long, happy marriage: for instance, marrying someone a lot like yourself, trying to give more than you want to get out of the relationship, and learning how to fight are key… Giving familiar advice a new spin by mining the rich resource of older Americans, Pillemer offers a refreshing, smart wakeup call about getting your priorities straight and living right.” — Publisher’s Weekly
 
**30 Lessons for Living will be available mid-November wherever books are sold.**