The New Old: How the Boomers Are Changing Everything . . . Again [Paperback]

David Cravit (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

Focusing on the Baby Boomer generation, this argument explores how this group is permanently destroying previous attitudes toward aging, retirement, senior citizens, and even the concept of death. An analysis of welfare rates and health-care costs demonstrates that the “Boomers” are influencing everything from education and employment to housing, health, beauty, and sex. With solid statistical support, this groundbreaking study takes a closer look at new kinds of social relationships as well as new products that can reduce or even eliminate the effects of aging. The topics covered offer a sneak preview of an imminently new society—one in which receiving a gold watch at the age of 65 will simply mean the first half of life is over.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A 30-year advertising veteran presents a strong case for why marketers need to put Baby Boomers back on their radar screens."  —Direct Marketing News

About the Author

David Cravit is the senior vice president of marketing for Fifty-Plus.Net, Inc. He has more than 30 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and consulting and has participated in the creation and placement of more than $5 billion worth of media advertising. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550228439
• ISBN-13: 978-1550228434
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,531,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Boomers to Zoomers, the transformation of Old Old to New Old, January 27, 2009

By 

Brent Green "Author of Marketing to Leading-E... (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Old: How the Boomers Are Changing Everything . . . Again (Paperback)

From a seasoned and articulate advertising executive comes a thorough overview of the impact of Boomer aging on society and business. This book is not only an extremely well supported treatise; it's also a well-written reflection of the author's personal journey as an aging Boomer who has decades of experience in marketing, journalism, advertising, and now publishing.

To make his central point crystal clear about a generation's reinvention of aging, David Cravit begins the book by showing photos of his grandfather and grandmother in their mid-60s juxtaposed with contemporary photos of Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and actress Diane Keaton, both of whom are shattering societal images of adults 50+ and 60+. The book's primary message is to make a palpable distinction between "The Old Old" and "The New Old," which he accomplishes with clarity and insight throughout his discussion.

The bulk of the book builds a solid business case around the phenomenon Cravit calls "BoomerAging." He demonstrates persuasively how this aging generation is rapidly changing retirement, travel & leisure, wellness & beauty, housing, technology adoption, and even late-life sex. He brings substantial research and statistical support to his arguments in concert with honed insights of someone who has been involved in marketing for decades. His writing is both anecdotal and lucid when it comes to breaking down the old myths around aging. The author even explores Boomer politics and aging in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Canada, where he's based. International comparative analyses of business and aging are much needed now as most Western countries continue to age and similar public policy issues develop.

This book provides a substantial contribution to the body of work that has already been published about business and Boomers and demonstrates very clearly how Canada is taking the lead with respect to challenging old myths and creating new narratives about aging, especially through the author's intrepid company and media conglomerate, ZoomerMedia, Ltd., which also controls Canada's version of AARP: "Canada's Association for Zoomers."

I strongly recommend that future editions of the book include an index to provide readers with quick references, which I feel is especially critical in business settings. Most of us want to find pertinent facts and insights quickly once we've read a book, and a comprehensive index provides the best way to retrieve information.