Customer Reviews

Aging in America: The Years Ahead

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I laughed. I cried. I marveled at the beautiful and the ugly images that belong to the incredible world of aging. Each page brought the unexpected. Via Aging in America I toured the world of inhalers and wheelchairs; I went to the senior Olympics and the senior participation at the Democratic convention that nominated Al Gore; I parked my imaginary RV with Loners of America; I played shuffle board; I got married at 85; I stood in the doorway of the dying and attended to the needs of many who were ill and frail; and I rode the bus to Atlantic City where, according to the factoid beneath a photo of an older fellow deeply contemplating a slot machine "...65% of the $37 million income made by casinos comes from people over 60." What?

I couldn't move from the casino page for a long time. This is what some people do with the final years of their life...? And the gaming industry gives back how much to senior needs and issues? I found it shocking.

But eventually I resumed turning the pages. "If only every work of nonfiction were graced by photos by Ed Kashi," I thought as I regained my mental composure and studied each remaining photo for a long time.

Equal to the photographs are Julie Winokur's factoids, essays and interviews. I found her writing memorable and compelling, and I also appreciated her philosophical musings: "Life comes. Life goes. In between is this majestic arc of experience. We happen to be living at a time when the arc's final curve has been given a graceful extension. We're still trying to figure out what to do with it."

Aging in America: The Years Ahead is as good a look at things "senior" and "aging" as we might ever get. From cover to cover it presents a "majestic arc of the experience" of what aging is like for some working class and some middle class Americans. If you don't have a copy, do yourself a favor and get one, and if you have one already, just buy one for someone else. We happen to be living in a time when we need to know all about these things.

Beautiful. Variety of large, high quality pictures depicting older individuals from different walks in a wide range of life experiences. This book showed not just the frailty of old age, but also the strength, resilence, and dignity of older persons. A real treasure.

This is a wonderful book covering a wide range of inspiring stories about aging Americans. Both a photographic jewel and written masterpiece, I couldn't recommend this book more to anyone and everyone who is interested. Truly a book to share with your family and friends!