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Aging with Grace by Marie de Hennezel. A groundbreaking approach to aging from one of France's best- known clinical psychologists. How should we accept growing old?
It's an inevitable progression and yet in Western society the very subject of aging is often taboo and shrouded in anxiety and shame. Not anymore, says Marie de Hennezel, an internationally renowned clinical psychologist and bestselling author. Now A groundbreaking approach to aging from one of France's best- known clinical psychologists.
Now that our lives are longer and richer than ever before, it's imperative to demystify our greatest fear and cultivate a positive awareness of aging. In this timely and essential book, de Hennezel offers a fresh perspective on the art of growing old.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. If you are new to exercise, a few minutes a day puts you well on the way towards building a healthy habit. We learn the value of true friendship, know the meaning of unconditional love, and learn not to sweat the small stuff, because everything is small stuff. Doing things that puts a smile on my face and others. As adults get older, the sense of taste also fades, leading to a desire for more salt on food to enhance flavor. If your career slows down or you retire, or if your children leave home, you may find you have more time to enjoy activities outside of work and immediate family.
She confronts head-on the inevitable grief we sustain at the loss of our youth and explains how refusing to age and move forward in life is actually what makes us become old. Combining personal anecdotes with psychological theory, philosophy, and eye-opening scientific research from around the world, she shows why we should look forward to embracing everything aging has to offer in terms of human and spiritual enrichment. The Art of Growing Old is a thought-provoking, brave, and uplifting meditation on the later years as they should be lived.
Hardcover , pages. Published April 12th by Viking first published January 1st To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Art of Growing Old , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about The Art of Growing Old. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. I enjoyed reading this book about ageing, in that it gave me some perspective on the "elderly" people I know as well as some insight as to what I might need to focus on as I grow older.
The author approaches this uncomfortable subject with honesty and grace, showing us what makes the difference between becoming an old person and aging. Despite the sometimes painful, lonely, and depressing possibilities involved as we approach the end of our lives, there are ways of looking at things, of understa I enjoyed reading this book about ageing, in that it gave me some perspective on the "elderly" people I know as well as some insight as to what I might need to focus on as I grow older.
Despite the sometimes painful, lonely, and depressing possibilities involved as we approach the end of our lives, there are ways of looking at things, of understanding our selves and our lives and the world around us that might make a difference between being happy at the end of it all, or not. Reading this book provided me with some ways of growing old better. A book I saw advertised in the Daily Mail and was captured by the title.
As I am passed the half century mark I thought it would be good to read about how to embrace life at any age and how to stay happy and what it really means to grow old gracefully. Its a great message of happiness and wisdom for all ages and its a wonderful lesson that will inspire anyone who wants to age without becoming old. Jul 11, Linda rated it really liked it. An absolutely lovely approach to aging.
Looking forward to reading her previous book, "Intimate Death". The huge problems associated with an ageing population in the rich countries is upon us already. For everybody, the financial implications are enormous. Attitudes to the elderly are largely negative in a culture preoccupied by youth, maintainance of youth and health, and the pervasive beliefs that becoming old brings nothing but misery, almost a loss of humanity.
Provision for the elderly in the UK is patchy. Some families do ensure excellent levels of care and dignity, many do not. Marie de Hennezel, psychotherapist and hospice worker, describes the negatives clearly and makes positive suggestions for changing things. The problems I have with her book are largely to do with the examples she chooses to offer of individuals who have gone on to live a happy and fulfilling old age. She is highly cultured, and her network of friends and acquaintances numbers high achieving philosophers and artists. She's aware that lifestyle - reducing calories, avoiding alcohol and tobacco etc - is important - while acknowledging the inevitable slowing down of the body and propensity to disease, but she seems less focused upon those many of us who have not the beneficial bulwarks of healthy lifestyle, cultural capital and adequate finances to negotiate the final stages of life satisfactorily.
She is perfectly right I think to emphasise the power of quite small things such as 'a smile', and more generally the responsibility of carers to listen, engage intimately, and have the utmost respect for the individual. This we can all do. It is to be welcomed that the book marks a contribution to the much-needed yet scarcely begun broader discussion about age which must have inevitable overlap with the political and broader cultural contexts. I fear, however, that without urgent attention to radical provision of money, including the costs of providing high quality education and training, and accommodation, there will be millions who will be well rusted long before they reach Sep 22, Kim rated it liked it.
There is much in this book to recommend it--good reminders about the importance of approaching aging in a different, more positive way. There are some very encouraging examples that the author uses. I would have liked to have seen the book organized differently--as it was it seemed to be pages of a string of anecdotes with some important information weaved in between.
This is a book I'd recommend to anyone who holds to negative attitudes about aging to encourage a more positive outlooks, as There is much in this book to recommend it--good reminders about the importance of approaching aging in a different, more positive way. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone who holds to negative attitudes about aging to encourage a more positive outlooks, as studies show that these attitudes can make a difference as to the quality of a person's life after Aug 06, Clivemichael rated it really liked it Shelves: Excellent observations from a French perspective.
Jul 16, Deborah rated it liked it. Aug 06, Norah rated it it was amazing Shelves: Reading aged 72, some good points Jun 18, Jo Simpson rated it really liked it. Aug 31, Robyn Fallshaw rated it it was amazing. Excellent book on growing old. Written from the heart. Very sensible and informative. The best book that I have read on this topic and I have read a few.
Aug 13, Douglas rated it it was ok. She started losing me when she posited that being cared for like a baby when having dementia, is pleasant.
A much better book on the subject is Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. This stupid prohibitation contrasts with another, much more interesting one: Grow older, but do not be old; that is to say, do not be bitter and despairing. Do not oppose reality, but do not prevent life from fulfilling its potential to bring forth new things, right up to your very last breath. I am convinced that the twenty y "Our society forbids us to grow old, commanding us to remain young for as long as possible.
I am convinced that the twenty years that separate us from old age are a chance we have been given to learn how to age, to ' work at growing old', to prepare ourselves psychologically and spiritually for this final stage in our lives. How can we accept the transformations that make our bodies ugly if we do not at the same time explore the power of emotions such as joy or gratitude? How can we accept these things if we do not stop looking at ourselves, and instead see the world around us, and marvel at it?
How can we accept loneliness, if we have not learned to be at ease with ourselves, at peace, reconciled with our lives and with those around us? How can we accept the constraints of limited time and space, if we have not explored the limitless nature of our minds and our hearts "Since we are promised increasingly long lives, let us search for the keys to inner youthfulness: We need to discover the extraordinary freedom we will gain once we stop being preoccupied with our own image, with other people's vision of us.
Until then, we shall continue to die in fear.
It seems to me much more intelligent and fulfilling to learn how to see with the eyes of the heart. We can read the emotional lives of the elderly in their faces: For their desires are still there - they have simply been transformed. Tenderness has replaced seduction. The fact that they have been in contact with a range of very different people during their childhoods certainly played a part in this openness. Also, all four emphasised the importance of being active, singing, and seeing the positive side of life and events, and they regarded life's trails as an opportunity to evolve rather than as a sign of failure.
All four emphasised the vital role of humour They knew that their lives were limited, but they lived as if they still had all their time ahead of them, and their capacity to look to the future was remarkable Moreover, they insisted that they would not change a single moment in their lives, even if those lives had been puncuated by painful events. Their beliefs and values differed, but they shared the feeling that they were linked to something that was greater than they were, and they were in harmony with themselves.
Deep down, they were all true to themselves, to their history and culture. The aim is to free ourselves from the shackles of a painful past, and forgive ourselves for our failures. It is a work of introspection. I had to start reading this book before finishing The Finckler Question when I left it and The Good Book in my Melbourne hotel room they have been retrieved but yet to make the journey home. Wearing your hair off your face gives light a chance to reflect off your skin, which can be very flattering, says Brunet. Of course, how you style an updo is key.
Aim for soft and polished rather than schoolmarm severe. Then gather your hair into a low ponytail using your fingers, not a brush at your nape.
Accessories can add a youthful touch. Try sliding a thin tortoiseshell headband an inch back from your hairline before winding your hair into a loose chignon. Or slip a jeweled comb into the side of a French twist. Lips can get thinner with age thank you, diminishing collagen , which may leave you less inclined to sport a bold color.
Pick the right shade and people notice a beautiful color, not a puny pair of lips. To choose your best red, consider the following. Instead of a heavy cream or matte, opt for a lightweight or sheer version or a lipstick-and-gloss hybrid, like a tinted balm or a stain. Trace your lip lines, working from the outer corners in for maximum control, then fill in. This also gives you a natural dose of definition and keeps color on longer.
Say bye-bye to the Golden Girls puff. And keep it above the clasp of your bra, especially if your face is thinning another common sign of collagen loss from aging ; longer hair may drag your features down. At the salon, ask for a deep-conditioning treatment after each cut, then deep-condition at home once a week. Look for products that contain omega-6 fatty acids found in argan oil, for example or ceramides moisturizing fats to nourish and strengthen hair, as well as antioxidants to protect against shine-dulling ultraviolet rays.
Shimmery shadow catches light and can make your eyes appear brighter. They not only cover forehead lines but also give you a playful read: Heidi Klum and Halle Berry.
Steer clear of blunt bangs, which are too grade school. Also, take into consideration the shape of your face. If your face is wide or full, ask for bangs that are narrower, spanning from the outer tip of one brow to the other.