Today’s Revolution on Aging

If you’re like me, or if you have grandchildren, you may be realizing how important quality of life becomes in the ‘grey haired years.’ Or you may simply want the best quality of life for every day! Thus far, that is me, I’ve tried to live every day that way. High praise and many thanks to Becca Levy, PhD for sharing her research and secrets for not only extending life but enjoying the life you extend! This book is NOT just for old people, it’s for anyone who hopes to live and age well.

‘Breaking The Age Code,” challenges the reader to consider ‘Mental Maps’ of what they believe older people are like. Ageism is something we hear a lot about today, but it doesn’t have to be our story. These exciting ideas have earned the 2023 Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Book Award, and it is easy to understand why. Reviewed and endorsed by other PhDs and Psychological experts, Levy’s research proves sound, reasonable, easy to apply to my life, and it’s exciting.

The author is well-traveled, extremely adept on the topic, and a great storyteller. Again, great praise and thanks to Levy for sharing her insights, research, and ideas that motivated me to find more of life as I enjoy my next chapter on this side of breath… what if what we think we know about aging is wrong and we really can be a part of the ‘Social Age Liberation?” ( )

I grabbed this book on a whim but I'm very glad I did as I found it very inspiring. The author asks you to consider, and possibly reshape, the way you think about the elderly and how we approach old age. She provides evidence showing that thinking positively about aging can actually increase your lifespan, as well as examples of why the biases we may have are probably unfounded. I know that I'll be much more aware of my own biases as well as the subtle ageism in the marketing we see every day.

The book also provides tips for changing your mindset, which she calls the ABCs of Age Liberation. These include:
1. Increasing awareness of representations of aging in society
2. Placing blame where it belongs by remembering that physical and cognitive health challenges can be in part attributed to the negative beliefs instilled by society
3. Challenging negative age beliefs to reduce the harm caused by ageism

I'm not telling you that you need to reshape the way you think about aging, but it would probably do you, and those around you, a lot of good. ( )

Recommended by Mom

Read to p. 113

In a nutshell, aging doesn't mean decrepitude, and having positive aging beliefs is a strong protective factor (see: Japan).

Quotes

[Margaret] Mead writes, "The continuity of all cultures depends on the living presence of at least three generations." (43)

...intergenerational contacts foster more-positive age beliefs for both generations. (101)

Instead of viewing the global increase in longevity as the victory that humanity has dreamt of for thousands of years, it is largely portrayed as a natural disaster that will burden world populations. (101)

Why Survive? Being Old in America (Robert Butler) --> "the older you get, the healthier you have been" (103-104)