Customer Reviews

Rules for Aging: Resist Normal Impulses, Live Longer, Attain Perfection

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book jumped out at me because 1) It sounded funny, 2) I believe I had read something by Roger Rosenblatt before and liked it, 3) It's short, and 4) There's a comical recommendation by Jim Lehrer of all people on the back.

I was very satisfied. It probably didn't take me more than a couple of hours in total to read, but I literally laughed out loud a number of times, and grinned throughout. His introduction is "This little guide is intended for people who wish to age successfully, or at all....... What follows then, is mainly a list of "don't"s and "not"s, not unlike the Ten Commandments, but without the moral base."

He has 58 short 1-3 page chapters with titles like "If something is boring you, it is probably you," "The unexamined life lasts longer," "Just because the person who criticizes you is an idiot doesn't make him wrong," and "Live in the past, but don't remember too much."

After you're done this is a good book to have around to read to friends, or to pick up when you realize you are taking things too seriously and want to laugh at life.

Excerpt: "A long happy life last five minutes. One would think that this rule would go without stating, but many people actually believe that a long life of uninterrupted happiness is a real possibility. And they act on this belief! They change families, careers, the structure of their faces, countries, everything, for no more substantial reason than they recall five minutes of uninterrupted happiness in the past, and now they wish to re-create the moment in perpetuity. They even convince themselves that the five-minute period they recall was really five years and giddily substitute the exception (bliss) for the rule (confusion, doubt, misery, fear, confusion, and confusion). Happiness is wonderful, but if you have had more than five consecutive minutes of it, it means you weren't thinking."

It would be: Read this book!

My favorite was #2--"Nobody is thinking about you. They are thinking about themselves--just like you." That rule alone saves years of stress.

Or, perhaps, #15--"Pursue virtue, but don't sweat it." As he explains: "The pursuit alone is sufficient to establish your qualities, and if you fail once in a while, your guilt will remind you of the path you didn't take." Comfort for all good intentioned fallible people--which most of us are.

Or #31--Do not attempt to improve people, especially when you know it will help." He points back to Rule #2 and adds: "Nobody is thinking of you--unless you tell them about their faults. Then you may be sure that they are thinking about you. They are thinking of killing you."

If I have any quibble, it would be with the title. A person of any age can profit from it. Perhaps a better title would have been; "Rules That Give You a Fighting Chance to Reach Old Age Without Succumbing to Stress or Having Someone Kill You."

Perhaps he had the better idea after all.

Me, me, me. With self-help books infusing society's shelves and more added daily, it gets difficult to cut the wheat from the chaff. What works for some, doesn't work for others and non-needed confusion may set in, defeating the entire purpose! Seemingly half the population is in therapy (be it with a certified shrink or Oprah), and there is nothing wrong with searching for personal improvement. However, a cold dose of reality can be truly refreshing.

Rosenblatt, TIME editor-at-large, supplies humorous cut-to-the-bone advice in, "Rules for Aging: Resist Normal Impulses, Live Longer, Attain Perfection." He's quick on the uptake and profoundly in your face--which works, if you allow yourself to take confessional responsibility. When I read a passage, "If something is boring you, it is probably you." , I gulppingly realized, hey, the guy is right.

Though bitingly cynical at times, his advice on everything from party etiquette to office politics ("Never work for anyone more insecure than yourself") is also delightfully smart and funny. A hilarious read of wisdom, even for those not in need of self-help.

This is a really fun book, with lots of wisdom, much of it humorous. Despite the title, it really is a book for all ages as I am only 12, and can still apply many of Rosenblatt's rules. Rosenblatt takes his rules seriously, but doesn't take himself too seriously. Ideal for a X-Mas Stocking Stuffer -- I've already bought copies for both of my parents. Really easy read!

I liked this book. It is clever insightful, humorous. The author, Roger Rosenblatt describes his approach as "like the ten commandments, but without the moral base". He offers a list of 56 "don'ts". Take a look at rule 41 which is meant for people who are at least 50 years old, who work for people younger- much younger- than themselves. The rule says, " NO THEY DON'T- AND SO WHAT?" It means younger bosses do not remember how good you are at what you do; don't realize how very special you are, nor how gifted nor how distinguished. No, they don't-- and so what? Another crisp zinger is rule 2. NOBODY IS THINKING ABOUT YOU. Translation please? They are thinking about themselves, just like you. And here's one more. Rule 6. YES YOU DID. Translation? If you have the slightest question as to whether or not you are responsible for a wrongdoing, you are. As soon as you think, "I really didn't do it"-- you did. The author calls this book a survival manual of sorts. A final tip offered is , "Let bad enough alone", that is, remember the value of keeping your mouth shut. Don't try to explain yourself in the throes of a scandal. It's an easy book to read. When you finish it, glance at "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff for Teens" by Dr. Richard Carlson. It has something for everyone, not just for teens, who grow up to be those younger bosses with whom you over age 50 readers must contend. Two very likeable books for readers of all ages.

"Rules for Aging" is a short book, with rules you will never find written anywhere else but here, but it will make you smile and fill your day with humour and wit. And, how true it is! As I first glanced at the book, I thought, "OK, we are all aging, maybe there is something useful here." As I started to read with riskless joy and wonder, a phenominal concept finally hit me like a ton of bricks, "I'm really not losing my mind after all, I'm simply growing old" - rather like the lesser of two evils! While I loved all the rules, my favourites were #2, "Nobody is thinking about you... and #26, "Never go to a cocktail party....

The sad part is that if you are under fifty you may not have lived long enough to completely understand the rules in this book, and if you are over fifty, well.... you may have to remember where you left your glasses before you can read it! Find your glasses, you will not regret the time it took, the book is terrific.

A friend kept trying to quote from 'Rules for Aging' and I would shush him because I hate people shoveling out quotes as a response to a problem. Smart man, he bought the book and gave it to me. I have been laughing ever since. Roger is as witty (oops, sorry Roger-see Rule #14) and wise as they come. Mostly this book gets me in a good mood no matter how cranky I am. I use it like my I Ching. I close my eyes and select a page to learn my fate for the day and with out fail, laughter is the prescription. I recommend it highly I am giving this book to both my 30 year old daughter and my 81 year old mother for Mother's Day.

A proponent of Rule #4

The authors 58 Rules for living have clarified how one should think about and live ones life. After reading this book I have recommended it to friends, family, and colleagues. I have also recommended it to many of my patients as a guide for living (I'm a Psychologist). Of course, in the end, the book and my review don't matter as summed up in the cardinal--- Rule #1---"IT DOESN'T MATTER". I recommend this book to anyone who wants to really enjoy life.

I bought this book for myself upon a friend's recommendation. Both my husband and I thought it was great.

I felt so strongly about the message I bought a copy for each daughter; I am unwilling to share my book beyond our home. We have recommended it to many friends.

The wisdom is right on and the humor is absolutely entertaining. It works for busy people because some chapters are only one sentence long. Now that is skilled writing. Chapters do not need to be read in order. Each is its own subject. Sharing one chapter can set the pace for an evening with friends.

I'm in my mid-30's and found this book to be both humorous and enlightening. It contains good, home-spun wisdom that is really timeless and ageless. Just applying a few of the "Rules," will make you more content with yourself and the life you are living. It is a book that you will want to share with your family and friends. It helps you to realize the minimal importance of day to day failures in the grand scheme of things and is quite uplifting.