Susan O'Malley

In high school I remember reading about a doctor who cared for end-of-life patients, and he related that if you wanted a glimpse of what was important in life simply spend time with the elderly on their death beds. There you'll hear a lifetime's worth of stories about achievements and disappointments and loves and regrets. And, I should add, there's hardly any mention of being grateful about spending extra time at the office away from family and friends. I immediately felt the need to reevaluate my own priorities. Susan O'Malley's Advice from My 80-Year-Old Self reminds me of exactly this.

This book is short and sweet, and you're sure to come across more than one meaningful passage that pertains to you personally. I recommend it. And for fun, try to guess the age of the person giving the quote before peeking. The commonalities between the similar stages of life surprised me.

One more thing... you should certainly read the afterword. I guarantee it will blindside you. It also makes what came before that much more special. I won't say more than that.… (more)

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Chronicle Books, via LibraryThing, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

This is a book of quotes from people aged 7 to 88. They were asked what advice they would give themselves if they were 80 years old today. Each response is on a colorful, separate page. I found the quotes to be insightful, motivational, and interesting.

The Afterword gives us information about the artist, Susan O'Mallery, who authored this book. Just as she finished the book, her life was tragically cut short. I feel reading the Afterword before the quotes will help to understand the concept of the book. Every coffee table would benefit by having this charming book on it.… (more)