NEVER TOO LATE

A lifelong magazine journalist files a striking travelogue of life, inspiration and encouragement for fellow retirees, equally intriguing for anyone who appreciates intellect and wit.

Rowan (First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Best Friends, 2009, etc.) employs simple yet sophisticated prose, as well as an amazing capacity for detail and memory, in this chronicle of his personal experiences, relationships and globetrotting. Details of the author's breathtaking and sometimes dangerous career—from dodging bullets on the front lines of the Korean War to unforgettable audiences with world leaders, American presidents and celebrities, are interwoven with the stuff of real life—including his battle with cancer, his passion for jogging and more than 50 years of marriage to wife Helen. Despite his entry into the nonagenarian register, the author never lost his edge or his hope and thirst for knowledge, proving that one man or woman's life can influence and even change history, regardless of age. His account proves that with dogged determination, even those with reduced mobility—a natural consequence of old age—can adapt and discover new interests and joys. His prose is poetic and replete with colorful literary and philosophical quotes from renowned writers and thinkers. Rowan has a keen eye for detail, and his experiences, as he so aptly writes, are no "manual for growing old gracefully." This book is more than memoir; it will serve as inspiration to anyone who fears loss or stagnation in old age.