Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age Kindle Edition

This book is more about extended middle age rather than old age.It's not outstanding, but it gets a 3 because it is by the head of AARP, and it's useful to know what someone like this is thinking.Are "we" are just jumping on the tech-speak bandwagon of "disrupting" old age, rather than carrying out the traditional task of elders-- ensuing that strong, useful social institutions will be transmitted to the next generation?The initial chapters give examples of people who have had relatively straightforward life paths, who are moving towards scaling back from high-pressure jobs towards more involvement in charitable and family activities. And by the way, life expectancy has actually dropped for white women, but the author glosses over this. The chipper tone in the initial chapters, using the term "we" to describe general social trends, can be a bit much.Readers who have suffered life setbacks may wish to skip to the chapter about older workers. This gives some examples of corporations which have discovered that their needs coincide with the needs of workers who are experienced, but do not have endless 20-something energy. Perhaps social pressure to consider age as a component of diversity could influence employers to hire more older workers. But what of the people who are struggling with health and socio-economic difficulties after 40, and can't really compete with their counterpart ten years younger? How do we bring them into the mix, and keep them working at a living wage?The "thousand dollar tax credit" for low income savers might give them ... $35-45K plus interest at retirement? Hopefully enough to buy a trailer. Guess it would be a start; cheaper and easier to implement than an actual housing program involving permanent structures.It is useful to understand the perspective on aging as viewed from the position of someone heading of AARP. The challenges of old age are mostly covered in the sections about arranging for appropriate health care. If you are a perky person given to organizing million dollar public private partnership grants for Habitat for Humanity senior housing, this book is for you! Given the current climate in Congress, where many legislators in the majority believe all social problems should be handled by families and the church, the chipper, pro-private sector tone of this book may be an unfortunate (though annoying) necessity.The overall thrust of this book, of viewing older people as contributors instead of liabilities, is very welcome. Less certain about that chipper tone. Apparently, if you are someone who must keep working "out of financial necessity," then it's just on you to take better care of your health, and grin and bear it.If you buy this book, you might want to sit down with your friends after reading it, and have your book group discuss it. Is "It's all up to you, to volunteerism, and to the private sector" really the way you think our country should care for the old? Sure, it's great to counter age discrimination and encourage everyone to remain healthy, vital people who contribute to society. But older workers who have worn out their bodies through physically demanding labor will not be very enthusiastic at the idea that they should continue volunteering, or showing up for work at whatever pay they can still get. (WalMart greeter comes to mind, alas.)

it seems like maybe a PR firm wrote the book. it seemed like a brochure. the examples of very rich people re-inventing themselves was beside the point: what about average people. it seems to me that AARP needs to be disrupted, since the acronym is useless any more; CHANGE AARP to something meaningful. The only part of the book that seems relevant was the last action chapter. reinvent AARP, and start a conversation on how the most powerful nation on earth which it is documented, HATES ITS OLDER PEOPLE, and make changes so an average person can retire in DIGNITY, then that would be great. We need a huge cultural change, and you could be the person who makes that happen.ps: none of my friends has a clue what AARP does, and we all should. it is such an important organization.

There is absolutely nothing new (or even mildly interesting) in this book. Jenkins book is full of tired cliches, old anecdotes and worn out quotes. If it weren't for her AARP connection, I doubt this book would have ever been published. Statements from the book such as, "Let's face it: it's expensive to be alive" and "We're busy people living busy lives" and "We are a nation that loves its automobiles" made me wonder if the famous people who recommended it, and described it as "brilliant" and "compelling," had actually read it. This book was a complete waste of my time and money.

I got about one quarter through it and realized it was a commercial for AARP. Very boring. Sorry I purchased it.

It seemed to be a book about one person bragging about how accomplished she was in life, and did not give any help to those of us who have not achieved such a high level of success. I felt like it was condescending instead of encouraging.

Found no useful information and thought the writing was extremely boring. Sorry I purchased. I loaned it to my Boss to read and she was glad that she did not bother to purchase it.

Terrible book. Not made for the general public. It's a sales book.

Ms. Jenkins has an important point to make regarding not thinking of age as a number but a state of mind and directed energy. She talks glowingly of new types of developments for happy seniors and intergenerational developments. I simply could not make my way past that part. She totally ignores the vast numbers of people over 50 who have no resources, who can't find decent housing, who can't redirect their ives due to illness, disability, or other misfortunes - and to be fair, some of their own making. But I am a Realtor who tries to find people in Charlotte have waited 5-7 years for a section 8 voucher so they can find a place to live, who find that there simply aren't any, and if they don't find one in a short time period, they lose the voucher, AND they can't reapply because Charlotte is not taking any applications anymore. There are waiting list of YEARS, but where people are supposed to live while they are on the waiting list isa fine questions. So talking endlessly about all the wonderful possibilities, and particularly as the CEO of AARP, I would find it more worthwhile she tried to write about the "talk" of section 8 and other help that is supposedly passed out to people willy nilly that has no reality behind it.To be fair, I flunked retirement after three years and decided to go back to work because I love to work and I wanted to find meaning in things that I did to help people, so I focus on mature adults and seniors to help them find "the right place to live" as if they all had the ability and financial wherewithal to actually choose - which they don't most times. So, I am an example of her Disrupt Aging and do what you want, learn, earn, live, etc., but he happy puppy examples of her friend - the doctors, and business owners, and lawyers who get together and chat about their wonderful lives. Look around ladies. The view is only good if you look sideways or up. Not so pretty when you down, and it sounds like you simply don't.

Much needed book. It emphasizes that to age well, you must plan well.

Poorly written and clinical. It is a boring book about the baby boomers who had it all ( I am a Gen Xer) and who just want to extend the feelings of privilege and delude themselves that old age doesn't suck. I have many friends who are older and yes there are good things about aging, but many things about aging really do suck. I am going to get there soon and wanted an inspiring book. This was NOT it.

love it!