Master Class

We all know them and see them in our communities-those amazingly hale, hearty, and happy older folks who glide from doubles tennis and a class in digital photography in the morning, to their book club and a board meeting at the community food bank in the afternoon, to a duplicate bridge tournament or choir practice in the evening. We marvel at their stamina and high spirits. They're having fun, they've got a million friends, they're sharp as tacks, and the look like they'll go on that way forever. You've heard the expression "Sixty is the new forty"; these are the people they're talking about...baby boomers and beyond. These people didn't get the way they are by consuming the latest fad in dietary supplements or by training their brains with computer software. Their secret-revealed and explained in MASTER CLASS: LIVING LONGER, STRONGER AND HAPPIER -is an active lifestyle that blends moving, thinking, socializing, and creating. These four key elements can be found in 25 core activities or "master activities" that utilize two or more of the elements in fun and exciting ways. For example, ballroom dancing incorporates all four of the elements. Some other examples of "master activities" include learning an instrument or a foreign language, digital photography, genealogy and volunteer work. Readers will: Hear inspirational stories from active seniors about the joy and fulfillment they find in their rich and active daily lives. Learn why activities that combine moving, thinking, socializing, and creating are key to successful aging, vitality, cognitive health and happiness. Learn how to enrich activities they love and are already doing and turn them into building blocks of an enriching lifestyle. With an introduction from a leading brain expert, and careful references to relevant research throughout, MASTER CLASS: LIVING LONGER, STRONGER AND HAPPIER is supported by the latest research in the fields of psychology and neuro-science, while built on the concrete foundation of the real experiences of real people. People who are living active, happy and healthy lives--and loving every minute.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peter Spiers is Senior Vice President at Boston-based not-for-profit Road Scholar where he is responsible for strategic planning, marketing and communications, and research. Prior to joining Road Scholar, he worked for 17 years at Rodale, Inc. as publisher, group publisher, and vice president for strategic planning. He is a graduate of Harvard College, the London School of Economics, and the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth. He is the co-author of "The Group House Handbook" (Acropolis, 1982) and editor of "The Elderhostel Odyssey" (Elderhostel, 2005).