Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for this wonderful book ! This is the "definitive" read for anyone in middle age or older. As a senior I found this so reverent to everything I am experiencing with discrimination against seniors in our culture.
As we baby boomers age we are suddenly the brunt of a very youth obsessed society . We are ridiculed, talked down to (even though we have decades of experience and multiple degrees !) treated like dirt, ignored and the media perpetuates this. Since happily allowing my hair to go naturally grey I have more often then not experienced rudeness, insults and belittling behavior in public. Grocery clerks roll their eyes if you ask a simple question, you are ignored in line for the "younger woman" , young guys in customer service do not want to wait on us and speak to you as if you are a child, our social choices are limited now to board games at the senior center and "red hats" groups which frankly is not for me and just then idea is as nauseating as "mall walks" .
So I was thrilled to read this book that speaks to all of us that are aging in this youth obsessed society.
The author has done a remarkable job of research and has the voice for all of us seniors. She talks of our discrimination we suffer daily and how Americans hate aging people . She debunks the usual myths and show us all how today's seniors are changing the face of aging and living longer, being more vibrant and enjoying life, having sex and relationships well into our end of life. She breaks the stigma of aging and shows us how the acceptable prejudice of agsim in our culture is to toxic to even younger generations.
Bravo to the author and I thank you with gratitude. This book came to me when I was feeling "less of" due to my age and limitations after insult after insult in public. I highly recommend this book and will be giving it as gifts to my senior friends. Very well done !

Ageism is the last acceptable prejudice in our society and it shouldn't be! We've made such strides in fighting against racism, gender bias, women's equality, etc. and yet most people find it perfectly acceptable to have prejudice against age. Why? For one reason, it's just ingrained in us. We laugh at jokes about bumbling old people, about the ludicrousness of older people being attractive or even worse - sexy. I think most all of us are guilty of letting ageism slide. Every time someone tells me I don't look my age and I feel a flush of pride, I'm guilty of perpetrating ageism. I still think of myself as middle-aged though for that to be true, I would have to break all records for longevity in the years to come. As one in the oldest wave of baby-boomers, I've bought into the youth culture that baby-boomers started. Now that we're among the "olders" as the author names the aging population, hopefully that same power that drove the youth culture can reverse this thinking that once one gets past a certain age, it's inevitable to become a fragile, feeble, and doddering fool. Sure there are more aches and pains that inevitably go along with aging - but there's also wisdom learned from years of experience.

This author has done a masterful job of pointing out how ageism exists - and what we can do to combat that. It's a fascinating book!

A rousing real call to arms against ageism.A book that reveals the stigma we face as we grow old the failure of recognize it the contributions the wisdom we grow into.Funny lively no holds barred.One thing we all every once of us have in common we are aging .Will be gifting friends with this book great for book club discussion.#netgalley#celadonbooks,

Interesting book about aging. Getting older is something we all do if we are lucky enough. Why then are older people so treated like a class of people beneath the rest, except in some cultures where age is hugely respected?

Lots of facts are included, maybe too much so. I felt the story of aging could be a longish short story, but not a book of this size. I got the point early on and kept reading to see what other bits of info would matter to me, but stopped when it seemed like more ways to say the same thing. If there was more good stuff further into it, like how to change the way older people are treated, then I missed it by not finishing the book.

Definitely had some good points to make. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.