Rejuvenate! It's Never Too Late [Hardcover]

Eartha Kitt (Author), Tonya Bolden (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

The purr-fect guide to staying mentally and physically healthy and vital from the legendary star who defines longevity.

From her hit songs in the 1950s and television stardom as Catwoman on "Batman" in the 1960s to her sold-out shows at New York's Cafe Carlyle in the 1990s, her Tony-nominated role on Broadway in 1999, and her hilarious performance as Yzma, the villainess in Disney's "The Emperor's New Groove" in 2000, Eartha Kitt is one of America's most versatile and enduring performers. Now, at seventy-four and still going strong, Kitt reveals her secrets of vitality in "Rejuvenate!," an elegant and inspiring book.

Seductive, provocative, amusing, and calming, she combines the lessons of her life -- from a difficult childhood in the South and in Harlem to the joys and challenges of her life in the public eye -- to offer this wise window into her incredible mental and physical vigor and an open invitation to the joys of aging in style.

"Rejuvenate!" is a simple, user-friendly guide that doesn't require a gym, a personal trainer, or even exercise equipment. Each of the nine chapters, with titles such as "Bend," "Stretch," and "Rock-and-Roll," features one basic exercise for the body with easy-to-follow instructions and an entertaining, inspiring message for the mind.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An Energizer bunny of the entertainment world if ever there was one, the multitalented, seductive and electrifying Eartha Kitt (Thursday's Child; Alone with Me; I'm Still Here: Confessions of a Sex Kitten) presents Rejuvenate!: (It's Never Too Late), a book devoted to showing how men and women can look as good as she does (at 73!), with seemingly limitless energy and life. Writing with Tonya Bolden (Strong Men Keep Coming), Kitt combines her inspiring life story with simple, motivating exercises. In a style that is friendly but not forced, Kitt connects with her audience and compels them to follow her onward and upward. (Scribner, $24 192p ISBN 0-7432-0224-4; May)

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Singer, actress, and Broadway star Kitt (I'm Still Here) was born out of wedlock in poverty in South Carolina in 1928. In this part memoir, part exercise manual she shares, in her own distinctive voice, "fundamental ways of being, thinking, and doing" that have kept her productive, content, and free of the fear of getting old. She accepts aging as a natural process; she never yearned to stay young. Kitt chronicles her distinguished career's ups and downs: her outspoken remarks on the Vietnam War at a White House luncheon hosted by First Lady Ladybird Johnson in 1968 and subsequent blacklisting; her concerts, TV appearances, and best-selling recordings; her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; and her various affairs. Kitt also offers deep breathing instructions and stretching exercises and encourages listeners to make a commitment to taking care of themselves. Highly recommended for most public libraries.
Ann Burns, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743202244
• ISBN-13: 978-0743202244
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eartha Kitt rocks - Viva Eartha!, August 17, 2007

By 

Marla Bodi (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rejuvenate! It's Never Too Late (Hardcover)

This is one of 4 books written by Eartha Kitt and I highly recommend making it a reading project to read all of them. She is one amazing lady and the story of her childhood leaves you with your mouth open and in wonder at her strength and belief in self.
This book touches on stories from all through her life along with basic but very solid advice on how to maintain good health. I got it from a library to read first, and it was so good that I bought it to have for reference and inspiration. Eartha is 85 as of now (8/07) and STILL doing shows from time to time at the Carlisle Hotel & Carnegie Hall in New York, and she was even in an off-Broadway play in 2007. She should be given the spotlight in many more venues, especially on TV, and someone should arrange a tribute. I clearly remember her on radio & TV when I was a little kid, but I had no idea about her background or how she got where she did. This woman is one of the most interesting and inspiring and strongest women I've ever known of.
By the way, I think other straight White women should get a clue --Eartha belongs to everyone, but this icon needs more press and more appreciation!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Advice, April 13, 2007

By 

Rod Reviewer (VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rejuvenate! It's Never Too Late (Hardcover)

I read this from cover to cover over three connecting flights from Richmond, VA to Idaho. Miss Kitt provides basic advice, infuses it with her wit, and sprinkles various life experience "skits" into the mix. I enjoyed it very much and got more out of it than I realized at the time. Miss Kitt displays her intelligence and common sense when it comes to taking care of oneself. Take a look at her and you will see, now at age 80, she clearly knows what she is talking about.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sage wisdom from Ms. Kitt, July 16, 2009

By 

M. Lee (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rejuvenate! It's Never Too Late (Hardcover)

In this book, Ms. Kitt shared how she prepared for her daily life by keeping a healthy, positive attitude and a love for life. Before reading this book I didn't know much about her. It is a simple book with very basic messages: eat right, care about your body, think the right thoughts, etcetera. When you do these things, you are in a better position to be ready for whatever life sends your way.