At age 50, Dr. Richard Kownacki was out of shape and unhappy, fearing the best years of his life were over. He believed advanced age meant living a sedentary life, plagued by depression, disease, disability, and the prejudices of a society driven by youth. But after the chance discovery of a 67-year-old bodybuilder, Dr. Kownacki began to wonder if it was possible to age well after all, and that maybe life after 50 wasn't downhill. So began a journey of discovery that would propel him into a stage of life more fulfilling than he ever dreamed possible. What Dr. Kownacki discovered on his quest for the secret to successful aging forms the core of this clever and inspirational new book. He changed his attitude about aging, adopted a healthy diet, and reacquainted himself with vigorous exercise. As a result, at the age of 56 he looked and felt decades younger. By drawing on his own transformational experience, he offers readers a role model for healthy aging. Yet he never glosses over the difficulties inherent in his plan: his methods are simple, but they require serious commitment to combat decades of poor lifestyle choices. As living proof that we're never too old to be healthy, Dr. Kownacki challenges baby boomers, who once defined what it meant to be young in America, to now define what it means to age well. Unlike most books about aging, which tend to be either esoteric and overly academic or dangerously unscientific, Do Not Go Gentle skillfully balances history, scientific truth, and psychological insight with an ample dose of humor. And in addition to benefiting Dr. Kownacki's readers, 50 percent of profits from the book's sale will be donated to programs like Meals on Wheels and other charitable causes for needy elders. Whether attempting to reverse physical deterioration or simply trying to stave off the psychological effects of time, readers of every age will be delighted to find that they are never too old to live a full and meaningful life.
Pledge of Authenticity
I am the author of Do Not Go Gentle: Successful Aging for Baby Boomers and All Generations. I know that the facts presented in my book are true and that the principles of successful aging really work because they've worked for me, and they've worked for many other men and women whose stories fill this book and without whose inspiration I could not have written it. Writing this book helped me to lose 75 pounds, to adopt a healthier diet, and to exercise more vigorously than I did in my teens; now, at age 56, I look and feel years younger. In my experience, when you surround yourself with examples of healthy aging you cannot help but have a little bit rub off on you. Let some of it rub off on you, too. My hope is that you will experience important changes in your own life by reading this book, studying the examples of spunky eldsters, doing the exercises at the end of each chapter, and applying the principles of the successful aging in your thinking and behavior. (My full biography appears at my book site on Amazon.com.)
One day I went to put on a Hawaiian shirt I hadn't worn in years, and it was so big I joked with Mary that both of us could fit into it. Well, seeing is believing, so I asked Mary to stand in front of me; sure enough, we both were able to fit into that gargantuan shirt and even fasten the buttons!
- Richard Kownacki, Ph.D. August 4, 2010
