Age Power: How the 21st Century Will Be Ruled by the New Old (Paperback)

~ (Author) "America is becoming a "gerontocracy" and four outcomes are certain: 1. More of us will live longer than in any previous generation; 2. The epicenter..." (more)
Key Phrases: caregiving crunch, elder boomers, age wave, New York, United States, President Carter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Old simply isn't what it used to be," writes gerontologist Ken Dychtwald, bestselling author of Age Wave. In the 20th century, the number of Americans ages 65 and older increased from 3 million to 33 million. This number is likely to double by 2035! After 30 years in the field of aging, Dychtwald is convinced that "'Age Power' will rule the 21st century" and that "dramatic anti-aging breakthroughs" in supernutrition, hormone replacement, gene therapy, bionics, and organ cloning will be discovered in the near future.

This all sounds like wonderful news, except that Dychtwald fears that "we are woefully unprepared" for the aging of the boomers. He sounds a wake-up call to "the five social train wrecks we need to prevent." For example, society will face epidemics of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's (14 million Americans will have it by the mid-21st century). Tens of millions will live their long, last years in poverty. And living longer will be worthless if the elderly spend their last decades doing little more than watching television--40 million retirees average 43 hours a week of TV now!

Age Power describes the aging-related dangers ahead of us and solutions (both social and personal) for preventing them. "Tips to age-proof your life" at the end of many chapters help you put the points into action. "Many of the painful, punishing challenges of old age could be prevented if informed choices were made earlier in life," says Dychtwald, and although this serious book is not easy reading, it will help you make much more informed choices. --Joan Price --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In a far-sighted and important report, Dychtwald warns that unless we productively integrate the elderly into all levels of our society, the U.S. will rapidly become an "elder wasteland." A psychologist, gerontologist and corporate consultant, Dychtwald's (Age Wave, Bodymind) new book is a wake-up call to debt-laden baby boomers heading toward poverty-stricken old age, to senior citizens and to society as a whole. He succeeds admirably, even though his presentation is weakened by catchy generalizations, facile predictions and lecture-circuit style ("The epicenter of economic and political power will shift from the young to the old" as the nation is transformed into a "gerontocracy"). Instead of a standard retirement at age 65, Dychtwald recommends "phased retirement" programs, long practiced in Europe, as well as more portable pensions. He advocates making self-care and disease prevention national priorities and calls for the creation of a National Elder Corps (loosely modeled on the Peace Corps). Some of his proposals will prove controversial, such as raising the age when Social Security and Medicare benefits begin or privatizing portions of Social Security. In Dychtwald's framework, "middlescence" (a greatly extended middle period of life, from age 40 to 60 and beyond) will afford countless boomers a second chance to fulfill their dreams. His optimism and openness to new ways of making the golden years productive render this book a thought-provoking and worthwhile read. Eight-city author tour. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; 1 edition (September 21, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585420433
• ISBN-13: 978-1585420438
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,072 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Age Power is super-charged with insights, trends and facts., September 9, 1999

By	James Canton (San Francisco, ca USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Age Power (Hardcover)

I have followed this author's work for many years and this is his best book yet!I would heartily recomend it. Ken Dychtwalds' book Age Power is the most comprehensive and insightful analysis of the impact of the Baby Boomers on society. Written in an informative manner for the general reader, I found his book fresh with ideas about how to understand the landscape of the future. From the impact on health care, business, economics and education, the "New Old" will rule, accordingly to Dychtwald, and after reading this thoughtful book I now know how. I found his suggestions for how to influence this future to be very interesting. He makes a convincing case for a higher level of social responsibility required by the aging baby boomers as we move into the 21st century. Age Power is a book that I will refer back to for a long time. I will use it as a guide for my personal and business planning.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nonfiction page-turner, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Age Power (Hardcover)

Age Power is a compelling look at how our world will be forever changed by the aging of the enormously powerful boomer generation. I was particularly moved by the implications of the "age wave" on the lives of American families. How will millions of working Americans afford the simultaneous costs of funding their children's education, caring for elderly parents, and saving for their own retirement? Age Power is well worth the read for the chapter on the "caregiving crunch" alone, and Dr. Dychtwald's "financial wake-up call" includes invaluable tips on "age-proofing" your life. If you're looking for a thoughtful explanation of the greatest challenges we will face as individuals and as a society in the next century--as well as practical solutions--don't miss this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A interesting book, January 17, 2000

By	Amit Singh (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age Power (Hardcover)

Dychtwald's "Age Power" is a fascinating book about the implications that will come from the aging of 78 million baby boomers. As other reviewers have noted I was extremely interested on the social aspects of the aging of the boomers in the coming decades. What will the future look like in the United States and other industrialized nations in 2025? Will the boomers still influence society as greatly as they do now? Dychtwald believes that they will, and to prepare for the next millennium, boomers need to ensure that they will be financially secure. Dychtwald provides interesting questions and answers for this generation.

Not to disparage the book, but I felt that Dychtwald could have focused more on Anti-Aging technology that is currently being developed. As with computer technology, the biotech industry is progressing at great leaps. And with the Human Genome Project being completed in either 2002 or 2003, anti-aging therapies willsure follow. If they do, the aging of the boomers will not be a huge problem since retirement would be eradicated with the anti-aging treatments. The Baby boomers would then need not worry about aging as they (and their pets [dogs, cats, etc.]) would live long and healthy lives, probably indefinitely.

Still, one must ponder what role will the Baby Boomers play in the 21st century.