The big 100 : the new world of super-aging / William J. Kole.
Edition:
First Diversion Books hardcover edition.
Publisher:
Diversion Books,
Copyright Date:
2023
Description:
295 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 263-280) and index.
Contents:
Merely one hundred and one -- A wrinkle in time -- How science lengthens our lives -- The luck of the (DNA) draw -- The unbearable whiteness of being a centenarian -- Growing old in a youth-obsessed, ageist society -- Silver without the lining -- Triple-digit bodies; double-digit minds -- Exceptionally old, with extreme influence -- Who will care for us? And who will pay? -- Belief, positivity, and the truth about "Blue Zones" -- The most important things.
Summary:
"In The Big 100, journalist William J. Kole tackles the pressing questions of our super-aging future and offers an encouraging view of the reality that awaits us, our children, and our grandchildren. Countering a forbidding bleakness with profound policy, societal, and lifestyle solutions, The Big 100 flashes the brightness of a future few thought possible. New member of AARP and grandson of a centenarian, Kole explores the looming era of longevity through the lens of past, present, and future life at ages 50, 65, 80, and 100-plus. With longer lifespans overall, by 2034 the United States will have more seniors than youth for the first time in history. By 2050, the world's centenarian population will increase eightfold. Half of today's five-year-olds can expect to join them thanks to astonishing scientific advances against killers like cancer and cardiovascular disease. It's going to upend health care, personal finance, retirement, politics and more. Whether we're 18 or 81, this tectonic demographic shift will affect us all. Along the way, there are fascinating sources, like Dr. Jane Goodall, longevity expert Dr. Thomas Perls, and 112-year-old supercentenarian Herlda Senhouse. There are surprises, including the truth about the 'Blue Zones' everyone thinks are centenarian factories. (Spoiler alert: They're not.) And there's longevity's overwhelming whiteness, a product of 'weathering': the theory that minorities' health begins to deteriorate early as a physical consequence of systemic racism. What will happen to us when 65 is merely a life half-lived? Travel to the new world of super-aging in The Big 100 to find out."--Dust jacket.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.