How to Age

by Anne Karpf

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Society has a deep fear of ageing. Old age is increasingly viewed as a biomedical problem, something to be avoided at all costs and then vanished away by medicine. Anne Karpf urges us to change our narrative. Exploring how our outlook on ageing is historically determined and culturally defined, she draws upon case studies, old and new, to suggest how ageing can be an actively enriching time of immense growth. She argues that if we can recognize growing older as an inevitable part of the show more human condition, then the great challenge of ageing turns out to be none other than the challenge of living. One in the new series of books from The School of Life, launched January 2014: How to Age by Anne Karpf How to Develop Emotional Health by Oliver James How to Be Alone by Sara Maitland How to Deal with Adversity by Christopher Hamilton How to Think About Exercise by Damon Young How to Connect with Nature by Tristan Gooley 'This new series of The School of Life's self-help books build on the strengths of the first, tackling some of the hardest issues of our lives in a way that is genuinely informative, helpful and consoling. Here are books that prove that the term "self-help" doesn't have to be either shallow or naive' Alain de Botton, Founder of The School of Life. show less

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Member Reviews

3 reviews
Pleasant, meandering tour of the idea of how to live a good life and not be upset about aging and decay. Lots of quotes from literature and philosophy, nicely woven together. A very light read.
This book takes a positive stance on growing older by situating aging on the continuum of human experience and reminding the reader that it is a natural part of life. I wish the author would spend more time than just one chapter exploring why age discrimination targets women more than men. Otherwise, it is a good, brief book.
I heard an NPR interview with the author and decided I needed to read this. A short quick read.

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Canonical title
How to Age

Classifications

Genres
Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Philosophy
DDC/MDS
305.26Society, government, & cultureSocial sciences, sociology & anthropologySocial group - Age, Gender, EthnicityAge groupsOlder people (60+)
LCC
BF724.55 .A35 .K377Philosophy, Psychology and ReligionPsychologyPsychologyDevelopmental psychology
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Statistics

Members
78
Popularity
406,294
Reviews
3
Rating
½ (3.41)
Languages
Dutch, English, Portuguese
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
6
ASINs
1