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THE WONDER OF AGING

A NEW APPROACH TO EMBRACING LIFE AFTER FIFTY

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Listeners will warm up quickly to the appealing way Nick Podehl narrates this exceptional lesson. With elocution that sounds both relaxed and focused, he delivers a magnetic listening experience. He is especially effective at using strategic pauses to emphasize points and to make long sentences clear. The conversational book, by a social philosopher and counselor, uses the author’s own journey into late life, fascinating research, and poignant anecdotes from his practice to show how we can embrace the challenges of moving into our sixties, seventies, and beyond. The holistic paradigm behind his recommendations is impressively sensible. This is well-written step-by-step guidance for letting go of our middle years, embracing our realities, and discovering what we can do for ourselves and others as we grow older.

Pub Date: June 18, 2013

Duration: 10 hrs

DD ISBN: 9781480546370

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026

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    THE PLUNGE

    MAVERICK SWIMMERS, AN UNLIKELY QUEST, AND THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF COLD WATER

    An enjoyable dive into a frigid world filled with warm hearts.

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    Ballard’s fascination with cold water swimming is contagious. Even if climbing into an ice bath, swimming in the ocean in the winter, or alternating a steaming sauna with freezing water doesn’t really appeal, the stories of the participants, including the author himself, are joyful and life-affirming. Ballard cites studies about the positive impacts of a brief cold dip on mood, inflammation, and resiliency (although he recommends undergoing an in-depth medical checkup before jumping in). He meets Lynne Cox, a giant in the worlds of both distance and polar swimming; Olympians; and regular people who just want to feel both alert and calm. Ballard becomes an enthusiastic member of this tight club, and his performance clearly exudes his affection for the others and their serious purpose.

    An enjoyable dive into a frigid world filled with warm hearts.

    Pub Date: June 9, 2026

    Duration: 8 hrs, 22 mins

    DD ISBN: 9781668106754

    Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

    Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026

    Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026

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      THE FULLNESS OF TIME

      MARKING THE DAY BY BIRDSONG, BLOOMS, SHADOWS, AND STARS

      A peaceful, restorative performance that encourages conscious observation.

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      Author Haynes may live in London, but she grew up on a farm. Nadia Albina’s British accent and warm voice encapsulate the bucolic vibe of this investigation into tracking time by the natural world. It’s all about rhythms and cycles—the time of year, the time of day, and the inner clocks of the physical world. Primroses open their blooms at the same time every day, and sunflowers turn their heads toward the sun as they move across the sky. Haynes urges listeners to be “trill-seekers” and pay attention to the dawn chorus as the birds layer their morning songs. Together, author and narrator conjure the soft light of late afternoon and the glitter of stars in a dark sky.

      A peaceful, restorative performance that encourages conscious observation.

      Pub Date: April 21, 2026

      Duration: 6 hrs, 33 mins

      DD ISBN: 9798217336838

      Publisher: Penguin Audio

      Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026

      Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

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