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Awakening to Aging

GLIMPSING THE GIFTS OF AGING, SECOND EDITION

A meditation on aging for those who see the final years as an opportunity for personal development and joy.

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Death isn’t the enemy in this carefully curated collection of essays, which paints the aging process as an opportunity for self-discovery, acceptance, and growth.

Although the 19 authors here acknowledge the physical and sometimes mental decline faced by seniors, the purpose of this volume is to share strategies for making the aging process—despite those challenges—“as pleasant and fulfilling as possible.” Contributors include a yoga instructor, hospice chaplain, attorney, and several therapists and psychologists. Their essays feature personal stories about picking a retirement home, crafting an ethical will, and navigating the health care system. Despite the varied topics, one refrain echoes throughout the book: seniors and their caregivers can’t control many aspects of the aging process, but they can choose the attitude with which they’ll approach their final years. In the words of one essayist: “aging people work with changes or are conquered by changes.” Although advice is offered, the book (first published in 2009, with a second edition released in 2015) eschews the simple directives found in many senior-living manuals. There are no checklists, no tips or tricks related to advance directives or medication management. Instead, the collection invites seniors to reflect on the days ahead and ponder avenues for purposeful living after retirement. “Aging can afford us time to explore the deeper values that have guided us in our lives,” writes one author. “Time to re-new, re-tool or re-fine our values and perhaps pass them along to others who follow.” Several of the writers cite Buddhist tenets in their pieces, yet adherence to that (or any) faith is not necessary to appreciate this common-sense approach to aging. A couple of the essays tiptoe dangerously close to navel-gazing territory, but the collection as a whole remains upbeat and accessible. Essays sprinkled with intimate anecdotes bring a long-deserved dose of humanity to a topic that’s all too often avoided or ignored.

A meditation on aging for those who see the final years as an opportunity for personal development and joy.

Pub Date: May 7, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-9894525-1-9

Page Count: 210

Publisher: Tonglen Press

Review Posted Online: July 29, 2015

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DYLAN GOES ELECTRIC!

NEWPORT, SEEGER, DYLAN, AND THE NIGHT THAT SPLIT THE SIXTIES

An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...

Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.

The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.

An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.

Pub Date: July 25, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015

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NUTCRACKER

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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