by Martin S Finkelstein ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 18, 2012
A straightforward look at the science of aging and its effect on our bodies and minds.
A practical, accessible guide to the ins and outs of getting old.
Aging is perhaps humanity’s greatest unifier. Most people agree that we’re lucky if we’re able to live a long time, but the idea scares us nonetheless. In this debut, Finkelstein, a board-certified internist and geriatrician, opens with a frank, avuncular discussion of our collective fear: “There is only one alternative to aging,” he points out, “and that one is usually not the acceptable choice.” Despite this jocular beginning, the book is a serious, informative guide, and Finkelstein proves to be a sensitive, smart narrator. The first of the book’s three sections is dedicated to the science of aging, and it presents theories about why and how fast we age in a simple but rarely simplistic manner. It offers intriguing facts about why we shrink as we get older (drying cartilage) and why it becomes harder for us to breathe (stiffening chest walls). However, the book also encourages readers to think about larger issues, such as how to assess our priorities as we age. Medical professionals can’t treat an older person the way they do a 20-year-old; their age, in other words, is relevant to their treatment. This may seem obvious at first, but as the book expounds on the vast range of ailments and afflictions affecting the elderly, the point’s relevance becomes clearer. At times, this section can feel overly broad, as it covers everything from cancer to sciatica to constipation, but it may be useful to older readers looking for a general guidebook to their health issues. Indeed, readers may be grateful to know what a doctor really thinks. Other sections on health insurance and family members are similarly illuminating. Overall, the tone is accessible and the message is positive: The point of life is to enjoy it, at any age.
A straightforward look at the science of aging and its effect on our bodies and minds.Pub Date: July 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1470061944
Page Count: 282
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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