50 Ways to Leave Your 40s: Living It Up in Life's Second Half [Paperback]

Sheila Key (Author), M.D. Peggy Spencer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2008

If you’re approaching that huge milepost with less than your usual birthday enthusiasm, open this book to discover all the ways in which turning fifty might just be the best thing yet. The authors share a wide range of ideas for making this major life transition a time of opportunity, growth, and celebration. As Sheila Key writes in the introduction: “What Peg and I hope you’ll hear among these pages is the irrepressible rustling of joy — joy enough to make you bust out laughing, sure, and the kind that comes from improving your mental outlook and physical habits, even just a little. But also the simple joy of having lived this long, of being able to look back over five full decades and forward to who-knows-how-many more; not to mention...the joy of living more mindfully in the ever-present Now.”

Bursting with anecdotes, activities, “things to try at least once,” advice from a savvy doctor, and clever ways to remember it all, this little volume sparkles like a treasure chest. It’s as chock-full of useful and entertaining gems as your life is full of memories, regrets, dreams, and possibilities.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“With generous helpings of wisdom and wit, this book is a recipe for joy during what comes next.” — David Niven, PhD, author of The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People

“Good, juicy, inspiring words and ways to live as a gloriously aging soul.” — SARK, author and artist of Fabulous Friendship Festival

“50 Ways to Leave Your 40s is a joyful, irreverent (and at the same time, very reverent), enthusiastic, and incredibly informative book. The authors present their suggestions for zestful and meaningful living in wonderfully inviting ways. I loved it!” — Sue Patton Thoele, author of The Courage to Be Yourself and The Mindful Woman

“So far, the statistics are convincing: everyone ages. How we age, however, is largely a choice. Sheila Key and Dr. Peggy Spencer serve up a delectable recipe for healthy aging that is both delicious and joyful.” — Larry Dossey, MD, author of The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: New World Library (February 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577315456
• ISBN-13: 978-1577315452
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sheila Key is a "Best of Show" award-winning writer (San Diego Press Club, 1991) and graphic designer who has freelanced for publications ranging from corporate business journals to New Age magazines to anthologies of poetry and art. Sheila also worked in radio for ten years, including stints as a rock DJ at commercial stations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Most of her broadcast work has been in the noncommercial realm, however, including jobs at NPR affiliates and community radio stations in North Dakota (her native stomping ground), Wisconsin, West Virginia, Tucson, and San Diego. Sheila settled in Albuquerque in 1994, when her husband, Richard Towne, was appointed general manager of public radio station KUNM 89.9 FM. The two live with their daughter and son (and kitty and pup) in Albuquerque's North Valley, where Sheila micro-gardens and produces home-canned pickles and jams.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest and encouraging advice for mid-lifers., March 5, 2008

By 

K. Judkins "balding biker dude" (Shreveport, Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s: Living It Up in Life's Second Half (Paperback)

Any mid-life reader will find plenty of enjoyable and worthwhile nuggets. You may not agree with all of the advice in this book but there is wide range of topics and they are all delivered with much wit and wisdom. The author plays the role of a good friend who is telling you just what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear. The truth is cushioned with optimism and humor and floats to the surface in bite sized pieces. Instead of telling your best friend that they need to floss, watch less TV, get a prostate exam or unwind with a road trip-- give them this book and let it do the work of telling the truth with pizzazz. By the way, get your own copy because you need the same counsel.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and charming, April 24, 2009

By 

Ashley Ravel "just_ashes" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s: Living It Up in Life's Second Half (Paperback)

Bought this for my mom's 50th birthday. I couldn't decide between a gag or sincere one, then I found this book. It was perfect: funny, serious, happy and comforting. She loved it, started reading right away!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entering my 50s, with this book prominently on my nightstand, March 27, 2008

By 

Gina Pera "Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?, a... (San Francisco Bay Area, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s: Living It Up in Life's Second Half (Paperback)

Have you ever hoped to meet the author of a book you really enjoyed, thinking that you're just bound to enjoy that person? And then, you actually meet that author and think, YUCK?

Well, that's not the case with this book. If you are lucky enough to hang out with Sheila Key sometime and you're like me, you will come away thinking, "geez, not only has she actually LIVED this book, but she is a heck of a lot of fun, too."

I know, because I've known Sheila for 20 years, and even though we haven't seen each other in about 10 years, I've looked forward every New Year's to receiving her cleverly homespun newsletters. Through them, I've watched her beautiful children grow and seen how Sheila's smiling face has somehow retained that youthful look of mischief mixed with excitement--no doubt related to some new and interesting pursuit.

Sheila knows a thing or two about nurturing wonder, mental and physical health, creative stimulation, and a juicy existence. So I for one was thrilled when she told me about her book project. Having been her editor when she wrote for a newspaper, I grew accustomed to Sheila always exceeding my expectations (which are exceedingly high). And, since I was just entering my 50s and really needing such a book, I knew Sheila would not let me down.

I've just started reading, and if I wait until I finish it to write a review, that could take some time. As I figured out after the first chapter, this isn't a book you skim through. It's one you dip into on a regular basis, drink in inspiration, and, thus recharged, go try something new--or remember that long-forgotten thing that brings you joy and lightens your step.

I'll be back when I have more to report. For now, I just wanted to say I love this little book and am looking forward to knowing it better. As I slog through my long work days (finishing a book of my own), it is my reward at the end of one day--and an inspiration for the next.

Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stoppingthe Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHDRollerCoaster.com