*You do have to age, but you don't have to rot

*"Normal Aging" Isn't Normal

 * Exercise, Mood and Depression

*Tap into Passion

*The Biology of Growth and Decay: Things That Go Bump in the Night  

     This is all written in a folksy, conversational way.  I feel like I'm chatting with an older guy who loves life. Since I'm 49 and struggling a bit with my health and  the whole identity of  aging, this is a motivational and comforting book.

"Okay, you're a terrific woman, maybe in your late forties, maybe your early sixties, and your life has gone pretty well.  You have good energy, decent gifts, and right now you seem to be heading into a particularly nice stretch."

The book had me hooked from the opening.  Even though I'm getting older, I'm at a thrilling time of life and marriage.  But I'm greedy--I want it to be better.  I want to last longer and have more joy.  My first grandchild is on the way, and I hope to be one of those who is healthy enough to babysit every other weekend, to walk in the park and go to ballgames and such.

My marriage and health are pretty good, but I'm reaching for an even better stretch.  This book has some great pointers from a medical viewpoint and a guy's viewpoint.  It's optimistic and earthy.  I like it.

It's great to read a book that acknowledges just how wonderful this time can be. Instead of diminishing, I'm exploring my old passions--like exercise, painting, friendships--that were put on the shelf through the hectic child-rearing years. Younger Next Year shows ways to do the exercise more safely, and how it works in with the shifting setting of lives while we age.

It also talks a lot about dealing with the aging spouse.  Crowley points out the psychological hurdles males deal with as they age--invaluable insights that never would have crossed my mind. I recommend that you check this resource out, or maybe even buy it for yourself.  It won't change your life, but it might improve it.