How to be an Old Guy: Dispatches from the Retiree Front (Paperback)

~ Bill Kilpatrick (Author), Sid Caesar (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

What does it mean to be an old guy? The shock of becoming an old guy can be devastating, but there is hope. Bill Kilpatrick wrote How to be an Old Guy as a comprehensive guide to life for any guy sixty or older. He also got some help from legendary comedian Sid Caesar, who provides the foreword. Some of the topics covered include sex and marriage, coping with stress, staying tuned in, the loss of a spouse, meeting new people, the pet trap, maintaining health, and losing one's marbles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Hatala Geroproducts (November 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933167343
• ISBN-13: 978-1933167343
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,327,392 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom for the wise, November 9, 2009

By	Barry Pehlman (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are looking for additional enlightenment at retirement age, you more than likely have experienced just about everything written in this book. There are nineteen brief chapters on topics like money, health, self-respect, sex, stress, how to dress, and "losing one's marbles." Bill Kilpatrick, an experienced newspaper writer, is a "old guy" in his eighties. I'm a "don't wannabe" old guy in his mid-sixties. Kilpatrick hangs with the South Florida senior retirement crowd, whereas I am still living in suburbia with my wife and neighbors who average 15 years younger. The question is will this book prepare others for what lies ahead as their minds and bodies slowly disintegrate. Having witnessed my father's physical and mental demise is enough reality for me. If you are lucky to be alive and well in your 80's it's more about your genes, and how well you took care of yourself long before you became an old guy.

The book starts out with an introduction from Sid Caesar, and continued to hold my attention until about the middle of the book. At that point I began to realize that the writer has become a grumpy old man exposing a few old guy types who might be a disappointment to some at any age. "How to be an Old Guy" is series of lecture/stories on things like hair loss, dentures, body odor, bad grooming and dress habits, loss of a spouse, why you shouldn't own a dog... basically, how to behave or act classy in various situations like an old guy should. Some might find amusing Kilpartick's examples of clueless seniors who don't act their age, or embarass the entire retirement community, as he puts it.

I am not sure what age group this book will appeal. Really old guys aren't going to be buying many copies. People who are 65 probably are either experiencing it now, or have prepared for it. Guys in their 40-50s don't care (yet). That leaves it to an old guy's kids who might give it as a gag gift for their friends 5 years older than they are. Overall, it's an OK book, but $19.95 is a little pricey for just an OK.

4.0 out of 5 stars In the game, November 24, 2009

By	Dan Fales - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I have a friend who was an editor for a major publishing house in New York City before he retired. His main responsibility was to acquire and publish books dealing with psychology, sociology and philosophy. He would have jumped at the chance to handle the manuscript of Bill Kilpatrick's new book "How to be an Old Guy: Dispatches from the retiree front." This humorous and timely edition touches all three of those bases, and then throws in a few medical tips. In the style of a newspaper columnist, Kilpatrick exposes the pitfalls of retired life and suggests actions to avoid them. It's a guide for over-the-hillers who, as Kilpatrick so often reminds us, "want to stay in the game."