The Benefits of Aging for Contemporary Thinkers

In this wise and deeply personal meditation, former President Jimmy Carter reflects on the new experiences that come with aging, blending memoir, anecdote, political savvy, and practical advice to illuminate the rich promises of growing older. Carter had never enjoyed more prestige or influence on the world stage, nor had he ever felt more profound happiness with himself, his accomplishments, and his beloved wife, Rosalynn, than in his golden years.

The approach to old age was not an easy one for President Carter. At fifty-six, having lost a presidential election, he found himself involuntarily retired from a job he loved and facing a large debt on his farm and warehouse business. Carter writes movingly of how he and Rosalynn overcame their despair and disappointment as they met the challenges ahead.

In "The Virtues of Aging," Carter delves into issues he and millions of others confront in planning for retirement, undertaking new diet and exercise regimens, coping with age prejudice, and sorting out key political questions. On a more intimate level, he paints a glowing portrait of his happy marriage to Rosalynn, a relationship that deepened when they became grandparents. Carter also provides fascinating sketches of world leaders, Nobel laureates, and great thinkers he has been privileged to know, and the valuable lessons on aging he learned from them.

As Carter writes, "As we've grown older, the results have been surprisingly good." The Virtues of Aging celebrates both the blessings that come to us as we grow older and the blessings older people can bestow upon others. This important and moving book, written with gentleness, humor, and love, is a treasure for readers of all ages.

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