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How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People (While They Are Still on This Earth) Hardcover – Bargain Price, January 2, 2009

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Henry Alford (Author)
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Henry Alford (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars 31 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Twelve; 1 edition (January 2, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0446196037
  • ASIN: B0046LUJ0U
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,417,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA funny, engaging primer on growing old gracefully
By David M. Giltinan on January 11, 2009
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
A more accurate title for this book would be "Growing Old Gracefully", as it's obvious that the question Alford is really interested in is "How should we come to terms with our own mortality?" He decides the best way to find out is to ask a bunch of elderly people, then try to distil key life lessons from the resulting conversations. Framing this process as a "search for wisdom" doesn't help particularly, and occasionally causes him to get sidetracked into some fairly unproductive academic discussions. It's not surprising that encouraging people to talk about their own lives works far better than asking them about "wisdom" in the abstract, an approach which, predictably, yields mostly just bland generalities.

As a general rule, his success is inversely proportional to the fame of the interviewee. Conversations with Harold Bloom* and Edward Albee lead to unhelpful pseudo-profundities like "wisdom is a perfection that can either absorb or destroy us", and pointless exchanges about the dictionary definition of "wisdom". A series of meetings with actress Sylvia Miles reveal little more than her apparently bottomless self-infatuation. The most interesting thing that is gleaned from self-styled guru Ram Dass's pontification on "wisdom" and "spirituality" is his admission that he doesn't plan to attend his own brother's funeral. This, quite rightly, bothers Alford, though he later suggests that Dass is redeemed by the calm acceptance he displays in the aftermath of a disabling stroke. It's unclear whether this reflects Alford's innate generosity of spirit, or an unwillingness to admit to himself how worthless his pilgrimage to meet with Dass has been.Read more ›
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1.0 out of 5 starsIt's all about Mr. Alford
By TimV on May 24, 2011
Format: Hardcover
If you want to read the author's musings on wisdom, read this book. If you want to hear much from old people, better talk to some old people yourself.
It's a diary about the time the author spent collecting information for a book about the wisdom of old people. Besides his mother, the old people are almost a side bar. Which is too bad, b/c it seems there may have been a lot more from all those clever people, who granted him an interview, to share with the reader. Somehow his cat makes a major appearance in the story, too. Surely other readers are also scratching their heads about that one.
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3.0 out of 5 starsRICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "IS IT WISE TO READ THIS BOOK... OR IS IT WISE... NOT TO READ THIS BOOK?"
By Rick Shaq Goldstein on January 18, 2009
Format: Hardcover
The author decides to set out on a quest... to not only search for wisdom... but to try to get a true definition of what wisdom really is... from people who have truly had the opportunity to acquire life's experiences... our elderly. The wide ranging paths that the author travels... leads to many things... including conundrums... such as... sometimes our greatest strengths... are usually our greatest liabilities. The reader also receives interesting bits of historical data... such as... "Benjamin Franklin helped frame the U.S. Constitution at eighty-one; Golda Meir assumed leadership of Israel at seventy, and Nelson Mandela assumed leadership of South Africa at seventy-six." We also get a heavy dose of the author's elderly Mother's decision to move out and divorce his stepfather. In fact there are more pages in this book dedicated to his Mother's decision... and the resultant affects on her and their family... than any other individual subject in the book. We learn that his Mom makes decisions like a LASER-BEAM... "She doesn't cut to the chase; she starts at the chase." But my decision to purchase this book was not based on the knowledge... nor... the assumption... that so much time would be spent on this one topic.

The author obviously spent a lot of time and energy in background research... and also... in the effort of attempting to arrange interviews with some hard to pin down elderly subjects. One such subject Eugene Loh... was nauseating to read about. Eugene is an "eighty-seven-year-old retired aerospace engineer who left Shanghai to come to the United States to graduate school; he has five science degrees, including ones from Cal Tech, Purdue, and Stanford." As the author ruminates what it was like watching AND SHARING all the food that Eugene takes out of trash cans...Read more ›
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1.0 out of 5 starsWhere's the wisdom?
By Practical youngster on October 31, 2012
Format: Paperback
To put it in a nutshell, this book was a grand disappointment. I'm in my late twenties, and I enjoy hearing from and about older people. I'm also intrigued with wisdom and learning from the mistakes of others. This book seemed like a perfect read for me, but I was woefully mistaken.

The book is not about the wisdom of elders. It's about the author and his thoughts on wisdom and the individuals he interviewed. I wanted to know about the older people, not Henry Alford. Also, his sexual orientation, his cat, and other irrelevant subjects are present in heavy doses. I would've ignored those things and pressed on, had there been a clear point being made. There wasn't.

Overall, it just seemed tacky, insensitive, and a complete waste of time. I can't remember the last time I read a book that actually moved me to go write a negative review. I'm making an exception to save others from the same fate. Keep looking, there are too many good reads available to bother with this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 starsbut I found parts of it quite boring. I was disappointed

Maybe because I am 79, but I found parts of it quite boring. I was disappointed.

Published 9 months ago by MARY Hilo
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat read

I loved this book! It is a great reading about someone searching for wisdom, the author is endearing and entertaining and I sped through the whole book really quickly.

Published 10 months ago by Jill James
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

<3

Published 18 months ago by Andrea J.
2.0 out of 5 starsFrom the Heights

A plodding book by an author who sees himself as an intellectual while trying to be humorous with the woes of his mother and whether she will stay with his stepfather page after... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Ronald Winters
3.0 out of 5 starsI was a little disappointed in this book

I was a little disappointed in this book, as it had been recommended. I think the author had trouble finding enough people to interview who actually were willing to offer their... Read more

Published 21 months ago by Diane E. Daniel
4.0 out of 5 starsNot Exactly What I Expected...Better, Actually.

This little slice-of-life memoir-style study is a fascinating look at the search for the definition and heart of wisdom. Read more

Published on February 2, 2011 by Kelly Klepfer
5.0 out of 5 starsHow to live: a search for wisdom from old people(while they are still...

A good book, relaxing, easy read. I sent a copy to a friend and she and her sister have enjoyed it.

Published on January 2, 2011 by spin
2.0 out of 5 starsDisappointed

I'm sorry that I can't rate this book any higher, but it is not what I expected (given the title). I think everyone, including the author would be hard pressed to tell me what the... Read more

Published on September 29, 2010 by Pascallisch
5.0 out of 5 starsA Search for Wisdom ...

I bought this for my husband, who loves to listen to the older generation as they share their past. He loved it, and highly recommends it to those with similar interests.

Published on July 10, 2010 by P. Abell
5.0 out of 5 starsPretty wise himself

Very well done. The best part was about his no nonsense mother. Kudos for his candor and humor. He's pretty wise himself.

Published on March 19, 2010 by Pamela Malone

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