Aging Books

I do not have that book on hand yet.
Please, resubmit when the book would have been sent to me.

Thanks for another great book in the "Soup" series. We grandparents appreciate you celebrating us with this special book. We all need inspiration, and this book helps us all, whether we are a grandparent or not.

When I married for the second time recently, I instantly became a grandmother. And I had not had any children of my own, so now I have a whole family! I really enjoyed this book. Okay, so the soup books may get repetitious if you read enough of them. But this was the only one I've read and I thought it was good.

I just don't know how the Chicken Soup people keep putting out such great books. There are so many of them and each has about 100 stories. Where do they get all of them? Frankly, after having read three others in the series, i didn't expect this one to be special in any way, but it surprised me alot. I found that the stories had such a wide variety of experiences that grandparents have today --- some that my own grandparents could never have had. I found just a few stories to be 'blah', but on the whole, most of the stories were either really touching or made me laugh out loud. I read several aloud to my children on the phoen becaause they reminded me of 5things that had happened in our house as my kids were growing up.
This book is an affirmation of grandparenting.

This book is about the love and caring of grandparents for their grandchildren. It contains so many heartfelt emotions that were put into words so beautifully that I was touched by them very much. My friend Debby Stoner was a contributor and I was so impressed by her writing skills and how she expressed the depths of her feelings for her grandson. The book was an easy read, supplied me with hours of pleasure and was difficult to put down.

The title of this book was the question I was contemplating of my own life at the time. Its reassuring to know that other people are too. Kari did a great job with this book,even self published, good for you and better for us the reader that you got it to print. I laughed and identified with her self-doubt and over analysis many times. But mostly I laughed. She's honest in her concern and quest for finding recognition of just what she's contributed in her lifetime and is there merit to it. The journey for both reader and Kari provide a catharsis to reconsider our definition of "mediocrity" or just getting on with life. Great things don't always happen in a big way but little by little.

Kari Breed is masterful with the quip. She brandishes it like a fine-tuned sword that has been honed by life and polished with humor.

It's hard not to laugh most of the time that you are reading this book, whether it be funny-ha-ha laughing, or oh-dear-god-I-know-what-you-mean kind of laughing. The writing is from the perspective of an average gal talking about living an average life and being okay with it, but there is nothing average about the book itself.

Her writing is to the point, very funny, and above all, very relevant. Have you ever wondered what Douglas Adams' next book would have read like if instead of dying, he had a sex change and took plenty of estrogen pills? Okay, maybe it's just me, but I think Kari's book is a pretty good representation of what I had in mind.

She makes you realize that we are not alone, that we are all indeed very normal, or at least, we are all the sane kind of crazy.

Have you ever thought "am I the only one this is happening to?" The author has a clever ability to bring humor to life's annoying nuances. There is something in this book everyone can relate to. This is a refreshing and honest funny voice on the scene today. Buy it, read it, LAUGH!

It's funny, it's poignant, it's real. And it's one of the best books I've read in a very long time, and I can see me reading it again and again.

Very funny and provocative at the same time. a must read for those who think they are normal and those who know they are not. Kari's description of her life's travel is hilarious. Looking forward to the next chapter of her life. Start writing Kari!!!

Doing the Right Thing is written for children taking care of their elderly parents. The book is well written and emphasizes the need for setting limits in taking on this difficult task. Specifically, Roberta Satow speaks of reaching a balance for children who have had distant, difficult relationships with their parents in the past. She emphasizes having boundaries and taking care of one's self in order to deal with the issues that inevitably come up at this time. As a daughter taking care of my mildly demented mother, I found this book helpful in validating the positive things that can come out of this new chapter in my life. Feelings from the past can be resolved and a new, positive bond can be formed with your parent. I highly recommend this book to any child taking care of an elderly relative and for children who are experiencing guilt over the resurfacing of old feelings at a time when our parents need us most.

The introduction to this book left me breathless - the author could have been looking over my shoulder at my own interaction with my mother, and dealing with the welter of emotions that come out of that relationship. I very much appreciate the author's disclosure of her own situation - I think this gives an immediacy that the reader can relate with. Anyone in a care-giving situation with their parents' should read this book, no matter what their relationship with their parents was like. I plan to recommend it to everyone I know, because they will need this kind of information sooner or later.

After picking up this book in a library, I was surprised to learn how low it is ranked on this list. Although I do not have personal need of the book (my parents are dead), many of my contemporaries are or were caregivers. This book helped me understand them. Among my aquaintances, nearly every primary caregiver is on antidepressants. With little time for exercise or self-care they have health and weight problems. And the primary caregiver often is not the favorite child. As Pipher says, he or she may be an estranged child seeking a last chance to work out "unresolved issues," in the language of therapy.

The book's title can be misleading. Satow does not limit her topic to children who resent their parents. She provides several examples of selfless caregivers who love their parents and care for them willingly. Often they're repaying an emotional debt or following a culture they embrace.

Given the heavy subject matter, author Satow couldn't take on the usual upbeat, cheery tone of most self-help books. In fact, reading the book can be exhausting. I am reminded of Mary Pipher's book, Another Country: relentless examples of frustration with no end in sight.

Compared to Pipher, Satow comes across more as a hands-on therapist and teacher. And she's the kind of therapist who holds firm to mainstream beliefs (e.g., we never lose ties to our parents) and offers, by way of encouragement, a simple, "That's difficult."

Like Pipher, Satow's message is one of acceptance. At some point in life, there's little to anticipate. And contemporary American society lacks an infrastructure to provide support.

The book would be stronger if the author had stepped back for a broader perspective. Many caregivers sacrificed their own lives, so who will care for them as they age? How will the single or childless elderly fend for themselves?

And some relationships seem so broken or distant that one or more children could move to the opposite end of the world, guilt-free. Remember the Sopranos episode where Tony's mother dies? Carmela, Tony's wife, says, "Who are we kidding? She was awful." A funeral director told me he's experienced this reaction first-hand - more than once.

The biggest omission in Satow's book relates to money. In her last chapter, Satow makes some recommendations for caregivers. She includes a list of questions, encouraging caregivers to assess whether they're experiencing illness, taking out their frustrations on their own children or giving up a social life altogether.

But Satow totally ignores the financial effects of caregiving. When the parent dies, the child who gave up career options now has to move forward, battling age discrimination and a resume gap. Sometimes parents never get around to updating a will. Some die intestate. The inheritance gets divided evenly among three, four or five children, who rarely are motivated to reward the primary caregiver. And the primary caregiver's career can suffer or even disappear.

Still, I'd recommend this book to anyone who's caring for an elderly parent. But I suspect caregivers have little time to read. Ultimately, this book will help the rest of us try to understand a little more.

The interviews in this book were very enlightening, giving me some new insights into the situations that I, and apparently many others, are going through with aging parents. I did sympathise with many of the adults, and I guess the only shortcoming of the book was that I expected it to provide me with solutions. I realize that may be impossible to receive from a book, but I do think I gained a lot by the empathy I felt to others who deal with the same insolvable and sometimes intolerable situations. I would recommmend this book to those just beginning to feel the pull to help their parents so that some strategies may be of help in the earliest stages before patterns are set.

This is it folks! Probably one of the most important books I have ever read. It took me, as the reader, full circle from my childhood all the way through to my current relationship with my aging parents, in a matter of hours. I could not and would not put this book down. It wouldn't let me. Never have I read anything on the issue of children dealing with their aging parents that has so thoroughly covered every human emotion. It is gut-wrenching and inspiring at the same time. Kudos to Roberta Satow for having the desire and the ability to write about a topic that is so controversial and so very necessary. This book pushed all of my buttons and made me rethink every aspect of my relationship with my parents and my own children. This subject cannot be talked about or written about enough. I took on every role while engrossed in this book. I was child, sibling, parent and aging parent all at the same time. I was hit emotionally from every angle. When the book was finished I was literally angry that there weren't more pages. I can't stop thinking about or talking about this book. Now that is the sign of a great book! Please tell me there will be more where this came from!

Fontana is an original novel by Siegfried Brian Barger and set in today's modern, technology-driven world. Fontana Smith, once a hero of another era, is now an elderly, retired Texas Ranger Fontana Smith who, with his widower friends, seeks a final adventure, renewing a commitment they once made as youths to protect animals that cannot speak for themselves. An emotional story about the advance of age and the drive to recall and pursue ambitions in life's golden years, Fontana is well written, attention engaging, thoroughly entertaining, and enthusiastically recommended.

This is a well written book with solid character development, an I-can't-put-the-book-down level of suspense, humor, and clever but not overdone plot twists. All this and it has a heart too! The author skillfully explores many levels of friendship and companionship, reminding us all how poignantly our lives have been enriched by our loved ones both two-legged and four. If you are interested in a contemporary adventure with a western flavor that is as stimulating intellectually as it is for your pulse, pick up this book and read it! And don't be surprised if it brings a tear to your eye.

I can't wait to read what happens next!

This is the first book I've read by this author, but I really loved it. The plot has a feel to it like "Rocky" with real heros who help save animals against all odds. The author writes in a very easy, enjoyable style that reminds me a lot Larry McMurty's Lonesome Dove, which was the greatest book of all time! He also developes his characters in such a way that you just can't let them go. They become friends who you care about, passionately, and you can't wait to make sure that they are OK as they pull off various plots to free animals, and help save animals. Have you ever read some of Steven King's works where his characters are just so alive, so real? That's the way this guy writes. "Fontana" is now my most favorate book, next to "Lonesome Dove."

This is my first encounter with this author, however I will most definitely read any further novels. For you Stephen King fans, you know that one of his strongest attributes is character development. Siegfried Brian Barger succeeds in a very King-esque manner to bring realness to the characters in this book as if you knew them yourself. Not to mention, the adventure, suspense and humor that intertwines throughout. And although animal lovers everywhere will adore this book, anyone who has ever known true friendship will be drawn to the saga of these three men.

Bravo, Brian!

As you can probably guess from this book's beautiful cover, animals play a large plot in both the plot and theme of Barger's debut novel, FONTANA. I find that a lot of authors pander to pet lovers because they know we're such a big population and believe that we'll simply "buy anything" about animals. But this book stays true to the common bond that runs through the close relationship between animals and their owners and, even if you don't like animals going into this book, you'll sure to love them on the back end! And if you DO, you'll love them even more!

Great book, good read. Very informative. I would highly recommend this book to any widow.

Best book I ever read on the subject..., September 29, 2006
By Nancy Kraft, Muscatine, IA

Dear Annie, I am Jan's old, old friend from childhood. She, very kindly, game me a copy of your book. I literally devoured it on the plane coming home. I was so impressed that I bought another copy and marched it right to our local library and insisted that it go on the shelves and not in the book sale! I also encouraged my local book store--independent (if you can believe that!) to buy a copy for their shelves. I told them it was the best book that I had read on the subject. I hope they did.

My husband passed away 8 years ago. What your book did for me was confirm all that I'd been through--that I hadn't 'over done' or 'under done.' I loaned your book to a friend here in Muscatine whose husband died of a brain tumor, at 53, last fall. She is, of course, devastated still. But she returned the book last week end and thanked me so much for it. She said that it helped her immensely. I wanted to say thank you for your talent and caring in writing such a comprehensive and helpful book. May God bless you in all that you do.
Nancy Kraft, Muscatine IA

I wish I would have had this book sooner in my journey through becoming a widow. Straight forward common sense information from someone who has experienced profound grief. As much as others try to help, I think only another widow could write and connect with the reader. I keep my copy by my bedside and refer to it ofter during this journey I have been forced to take.

I read about Annie's book on the website For Widows Only. The book is excellent and has many helpful sections. I lost my husband only 3 months ago and am "grasping at straws" trying to cope, with 2 teenagers also! Thank you Annie for writing about your grief and recovery to help others.

My boyfriend died after a 2 year illness. While I knew how sick he was, I still wasn't prepared. This book has really helped me deal with things that have come up. I would also recommend it to women whose husbands are seriously ill; it almost seems morbid, but I wish I had gotten it sooner. I might have been better prepared for the immediate after-math and funeral preparations.

I have learned to appreciate my personal growth processes while developing compassion for the hundreds of people I work to develop financial support; Meals on Wheels, Transporation and several additional services through our community's Senior Resource Center. I recommend this book to everyone curious about their personal sage-ing or those who hope to understand the new paradigm shift surrounding the generation known as Baby Boomers

These days, in our Western culture, for many man and woman over 40, the aging process has become something to fear. Which is utterly crazy, given that most people nowadays are barely half way through their lives at that point. It's like wanting to leave the restaurant somewhere in the middle of the main course and without tasting the dessert at all.
I liked this book because it is one of the few to look deeply into the whole adventure of aging and to broadcast to the world that the later decades of life have a different - and surprisingly wonderful - agenda all of their own. It is time for us older folk to stop cringing about getting older but to open to the process and re-own our place as 'wise elders.' As I was writing my own book - ELDERWOMAN - which is specifically for women, this wise man's book was a marvellous resource for me. It is a full, rich book, worth reading and re-reading. The exercises are useful and practical and the ideas are powerful. Highly recommended.

From Age-Ing to Sage-Ing has been a personal inspiration for me. Being recently retired, it has shown me that it's important to take all of the knowledge and wisdom that I have gained and give it back to the younger generation. If all of us healthy elders volunteered some of our wisdom in the workforce, our Social Security crisis would be greatly diminished. This is a wonderfully timely book with an important message.

this book provides an insight and perspective on changing my view of what opportunity life can create. This book has opened my mind and my heart to new possibilities. I recommend reading this philosophy when you are considering what the next step in your life may be, particularly if you are between the ages of 52 and 65 years old.

The two chapters in this book that I appreciated the most were Chapter 8 Mentoring: Seeding the Future with Wisdom where on reads that modern day families all to often turn to some 'professional' when it comes to issues involving our families, and these 'experts' don't even have to have kids or even be close to their own families. Its the sheep skin with some Latin on it that makes them more knowledgeable than our own elders.

And Chapter 9 Elders as Healers of Family, Community and Gaia. I ignored the Gaia aspect since its not something I am into. But the rest is pretty on target as far as how the inter generational health benefits are when children and young adults are around older people who have alot to offer, and how what they offer is more patience, a sense of humor and secure grounding that equates to security.

As a now "older woman", I surely appreciate this book. I found it inspiring, enlightening and empowering! I am so encouraged that I plan to invite some others to form a wise woman circle in order to celebrate our collective wisdom and share our varied and courageous stories. I am thankful for this book highly recommend it to you!

thoughtful and provoking -- an academic description that gets a little detailed for the casual reader. Still, highly recommend to those who are studying Dr. Bolen's messages re. spiritual quests and journeys.

In a culture that worships youthful beauty, this book reminds us all that our esoteric standards are stifled, immature and limited. The wonderful Bolen leads women (and real men) on a revealing and empowering exploration of the many rich, strong, wise, diverse and beautiful identities that both shape and define the gifts of "older" women.

I have shared this book with my daughters, my friends and as a springboard to discussion in nursing homes with goddesses over 90 years rich.

There are truths here that we must affirm (as they affirm us!) in order to claim our true places in this world!

Sometimes we carry the burden of getting older as a curse. This book will help women over 50 rediscover the greatness within.

I have read earlier works by Shinoda Bolen and found them both informative and easy to absorb. This book is the same, expanding on her earlier work (Goddesses in Everywoman). I recommend this to anyone interested in Goddess work, Jungian archetypes, history / mythology, basic psychology or anyone just looking for an interesting and new-ish approach to women.

Sonia Michelson's book is proof that the writing of letters is indeed an art form. Through her descriptive depictions, humorous and candid observations of her new life in Israel, Michelson welcomes the U.S. family she left behind (including her music students) to share in this life-transforming experience. Page by page, one is astounded by Michelson's courage as she leaves a comfortable life in Los Angeles, CA to embark on this head-spinning life adventure in Ofra, Israel. Her keen ability to adapt to a new world can serve as a model for those of us who go about life stubbornly resisting change on all fronts. Michelson's rich and vivid volume of letters offers readers one more source from which to draw inspiration for daily living and strength to confront those seemingly insurmountable obstacles, which inevitably come our way. What is most profound is the underlying strength of her family's bond; Michelson has 4 of 7 children living in Israel and more than a dozen grandchidren! The homecoming she describes receiving from her family in the first of her letters brings tears to one's eyes. Undoubtedly, this is a testament to the kind of loving and nurturing home Michelson herself provided as a young mother to her 7 children, back in their formative years. Michelson is at heart "home at last." A most enjoyable, thought-provoking and inspiring read. Thanks and kudos to Mrs. Michelson!!

"Home at Last" is a personal and compelling chronicle of an American women's taking up permament residence in Israel.
The format used in her book is a series of letters she wrote to friends telling of her experiences as they were happening. These letters explore every aspect of her new life and include such challenging issues as establishing a new home, attending school to learn Hebrew, getting her Israeli citizenship papers, etc. With a sense of optimism and perseverence, she has succeeded in creating a happy and productive life in her new home.
Easy to read and enjoyable - highly recommended!

Sonia Michelson takes you by the hand and leads you into a completely different world than the one she left in Los Angeles at age 78. Her struggles to learn Hebrew in her new town of Ofra, Israel astound the reader. Her new connection with her children and grandchilden are so heart warming, that the reader understands why she is determined to be there and assimilate.
Being the artist she is, carries her through the political issues and changes she faced the first year. Always, her students bring her joy-that is a constant that sustains her.
Recommended to you who wonder if change can be enriching or not. Sonia nods a resplendant yes.

Sonia Saeta Michelson has written a book that is enticingly easy to read while being compelling and inspiring on many levels. At age 77, after making the decision to pack up and leave her home town of Los Angeles for a transatlantic journey to join her family by moving to Israel, she writes in loving detail about the warmth of her family aiding her transition while describing with youthful wonder all the discoveries, natural beauty and historic resonance of her new homeland. Michelson is also frank and upfront about the process of making aliyah, from the bureaucratic, paperwork process to the intensity of learning a new and complex language. Here again, Michelson's courage and spirit is winning as she writes with humor on many of the everyday surprises and cultural adjustments and personal trials faced during her first year in Israel. Her book is not just that of a grandmother reuniting with her family but also a concise depiction of a woman, of both ageless spirit and conviction, embracing a new country as well.

Home At Last is a little gem of a book that gives a taste of one woman's courage in facing the obstacles that
come with immigrating to a new country late in life. Little did music teacher Sonia Michelson know just how much change she was to encounter in Israel and how much meaning she would find in her new life. This is the story of Sonia's journey and adventures as she reunites with her family and her Jewish roots as she finds where she belongs.

This book is also an interesting introduction to Jewish culture and customs for those of us who are unfamiliar but have always wondered. The book is easy to read and very enjoyable. I highly recommend this book and especially so if you are planning a trip to Israel.

"Poet Genie Zeiger dedicates this memoir to all visible and invisible caretakers. It is not just a memoir of her own life but all of what her life became as her mother slowly deteriorated into illness and dementia. Zeiger tenderly tenders the complex separations and intimacies between mother and daughter, and in particular between a Jewish mother and daughter. She does not avoid or romanticize the multiple realities of the situation or the intensity of emotions, but rather tells them powerfully and poetically. Her mother’s illness and death make Zeiger come full circle, as she feels almost reborn." ....

I finished reading Genie's book several days ago. It was a difficult (but necessary) book for me to read because my Mother died as a result of Alzheimer's in April of 2000. Many of the episodes that Genie spoke of in regards to her own Mom hit home with me. To say that this was a painful time for me (and for my Mother, of course) is an understatement. I strongly encourage anyone who has a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's to read this book. If you loved one has died, you will find that this book will help you thru the grieving process. Genie Zeigler should be commended for writing such a heartfelt book. Thank you, Ms. Zeigler.

Poignant and often painfully honest, Genie Zeiger's book, How I Find Her, is a must for anyone who has experienced, or is still experiencing, the decline of a parent or other loved one through dementia. I found solace and insight in Ms. Zeiger's book in dealing with the mental slipping away of my own grandmother, who also, as the author so perceptively describes, has moments of amazing clarity and connection, even when seemingly lost to the present. The author shows incredible courage in describing her feelings, even when they are complicated mixtures of shame and love, revulsion and tenderness. She records with the honest eye of a camera, but with a poet's sensibility, lush language, and appreciation for the smallest and most moving details. I am grateful for this book, which occupies a necessary niche in writings about family wisdom and love.

This memoir reads like a poetic guide for any child who has suffered through the dementia of a parent. Zeiger narrates her journey through several stages of grief from the time her mother enters a nursing home to her death. Initially, she torments herself with guilt for her inability to save her mother. But eventually, she begins to reconcile the image of the sick mother with the all powerful mother she knew as a child. Zeiger documents her mother's last words, and includes journal excerpts, poetry and lyrics throughout this profound narrative.

...Ms. Zieger's book HOW I FIND HER is a heartwarming tale depicting the relationship between a mother and a daughter. Zieger takes the reader on a heartbreaking journey as a daughter deals with the decline of her beloved mother health who has Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's-related dementia.
As a daughter, I think of my own mother's health, and thank the Lord that she has lived over fifty years illness free. As a mother, I think about my own health, and wonder if I will be that fortunate. Thoughts of our mother's dying never really enter our thoughts until we are actually faced with the dilemma, and then it saddens us when we see our once lively and independent mothers slowly fall apart.
You will laugh, as you share in her childhood memories, and you will cry hearing of her moments of mourning.
Zieger has captured the beauty of emotions and sentiment between a mother and a daughter, as well as capturing the hardships of bereavement.
Zieger's words of getting on with your life after a tremendous loss are sure to give support to those who are suffering.

Genie Zieger lives in Shelburne, Massachusetts, where she has led creative writing workshops and poetry classes for over a decade. Ms. Zieger is a former psychotherapist and crisis clinician at a mental health center; she has an M.Ed. in Counseling Education from the University of Massachusetts and an MFA in writing from Vermont College.

I highly recommend Ms. Zieger's book, HOW I FIND HER...

The concepts in this book work. The long-term care center where my mother spent her final nine months actually introduced me to the concepts of the Eden alternative, and indicated that many residents were feeling more content and "stable" with the presence of animals and plants in the individuals' rooms and throughout the facility. An indoor fountain was donated to the lobby. My mom was delighted when a parakeet magically appeared one day to become her roommate for many months. There were small birds in various rooms and lobbies, often donated by families or staff. Bunnies and dogs made weekly visits to residents, and each floor had a free-roaming cat. I especially loved one who occasionally cruised into Mom's room to check up on its feathered friend in the cage.

Long-term care MUST change to meet the needs of aging boomers, though they may be aging well for their years; bodies eventually fail as life closes. Mr. Thomas has the ideas and vision to change the course of eldercare so that the wisdom and dignity of the elderly can be recognized in society, enabling them to remain assets rather than burdens.

E.A. Davis, author, Waiting for Wings: Accomanying a Parent to the Edge of Life

As a Regional Ombudsman, responsible for a large county in N. CA, I used this book to inspire people to form a "Family Council" in a sample nursing home and to lobby for the changes that Thomas recommends. The home adopted several of the changes and they transformed the home, once known as the worst in the county into the best. Several people emerged from years of depression, others simply took a whole new interest in life, others simply had whole-hearted laughter reenter their lives for the fist time in years. The Eden alternative is indeed the "recipe" for making one's years in long term care "worth living."

Anyone planning to place their family member in a nursing home should read this innovative book first. They author's insightful, yet relatively simple ideas show how a well designed nursing home can be a welcoming, life affirming place for your loved one to live. I am a legal aid hotline attorney and own an medical supply business and often discuss nursing home related issues with my clients and customers. I found this book eyeopening and educational. If your relative is already in a nursing home, give the director a copy of this book.

The activities director at my mother's nursing home(Tn.) brought this author and his book's to my attention. The nursing home administrator is currently having the entire staff read this line of book's(The Eden Project). I ordered "Life Worth Living" and "Learning From Hannah", because I want to be a part of what will make mom's life and other's a better place to be. I started reading "Life Worth Living" and was honestly amazed about how educational this paperback really was. Not only is this book easy to understand, it's extremely interesting! I can only pray that some day all nursing home facilities realize how beneficial the "Eden Project" really is.

This book will show how to turn a cold clinical facility into a warm, caring home. A place families want to visit, not make exuses to avoid. This truly can be revolutional. Anyone placing a person into a nursing facility should make sure they have Edenized.