Aging is a natural part of life, but that doesn’t mean we innately know what it’s all about. An entire category of books exists to help educate and pacify those of us aging.
Elderly advice can help calm people when their family or loved ones begin to age, or when it’s you yourself who has reached a point in life where you no longer refer to yourself as young.
The average human lifespan is increasing and that means a changing culture and community. We must stay current with the new aging and adapt to what it means for those of us in the later stages of life.
So enjoy this collection of books about aging. Learn something new, change your perspective, increase your empathy, and challenge cultural norms.
This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism
by Ashton Applewhite
2019
Applewhite discusses age equality and prejudice from the viewpoint of an activist experiencing inequality.
Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certaintay of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
by Barbara Ehrenreich
2018
How can we prepare for death while still enjoying the life we have left? Ehrenreich uses examples from personal experience, media, culture, and science to explain the certainty of death and our approach leading up to it.
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in The Second Half of Life
by Arthur C. Brooks
2022
Increasing happiness in the second half of your life looks wildly different than in the first half. Brooks explores what humans find important as death and aging come to the forefront.
Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives
by Daniel J. Levitin
2020
“Healthspan” vs “Life span” is the driving force for Levitin as he discusses aging myths and common misconceptions of the elderly.
The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better After 50
by Jonathan Rauch
2018
The “Happiness Curve” shows how we are happiest at the peaks of the curve in childhood and old age. Why is this? Does it have to be that way? What can you do to avoid the “mid-life crisis”?
How to Grow Old: Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life
by Marcus Tullius Cicero
44 BC (originally), 2016 (translated with introduction)
Age-old wisdom about being old. Classic advice still applies to the modern era when it comes to the fear of death.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
By Atul Gawande
2014
A doctor discusses how the quality of life can quickly become the only thing that matters in the end. Personal opinion mixed with decades of first-hand experience.
The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age
By Steven R. Gundry, MD
2019
The key to longevity and health may lie in your gut. Take a look at the inner workings of the body to unravel how to live long while feeling young.
Memory Rescue: Supercharge Your Brain, Reverse Memory Loss, and Remember What Matters Most
By Daniel G. Amen, MD
2017
What can you do to keep your brain strong and young? Dr. Amen will tell you in this take-action book.
The Telomere Effect: Living Younger, Healthier, Longer
By Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD and Elissa Epel, PhD
2017
You can impact your lifespan at the cellular level, and these doctors will tell you how by offering advice on diet, activity, sleep, and more.
Aging Thoughtfully: Conversations About Retirement, Romance, Wrinkles, and Regret
By Martha C. Nussbaum and Saul Levmore
2017
Vibrant and lively discussions about aging and what that means for the individual. A bit of debate is presented through essays.
The Longevity Book
By Cameron Diaz
2016
Focusing on women’s health, Diaz offers a fresh collection of science and compassion. She gets what it is to age and wants you to appreciate it for what it’s worth.
Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to be 100
By Dr. Maoshing Ni
2006
Simple tips to live longer and healthier. Some common sense and a bit of a can-do attitude can help you live to be 100.
French Women Don’t Get Facelifts: The Secret of Aging with Style and Attitute
By Mireille Guiliano
2014
A delightful, light-hearted book to talk about the benefits of aging without anti-aging treatments and $1000 face creams. You can be both beautiful and old at the same time.
Aging with Grace: Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture
By Sharon W. Betters and Susan Hunt
2021
A biblical look into aging with grace and achieving your highest religious self with age.
Growing Old: Notes on Aging with Something Like Grace
By Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
2020
Thomas presents a memoir of her life and growing old at the age of 88. She is funny and insightful.
The Art of Growing Old: Aging with Grace
By Marie de Hennezel
2012
Want to understand the psychology of growing old? Then check out Hennezel’s work on aging.
Growing Older Without Feeling Old: On Vitality and Aging
By Rudi Westendorp
2015
An upbeat look at what aging in the 21st century is really like. We’re living longer and that means that old age looks different than it used to.
Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old
By Andrew Steele
2021
Can we age without aging? Can improvements in medicine stop the classic signs of aging while allowing us to live longer and healthier lives? Find out what Steele has to say on the subject in Ageless.
Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being
By Andrew Weil, M.D.
2007
If you want to understand the science behind aging and learn the know-how to slow it down, then Dr. Weil’s book is for you. Practical and informative.
I Love Growing Older But I’ll Never Grow Old
By J. Ellsworth Kalas
2013
The mentality of aging has more to do with your life than you think. The way we approach old age and aging makes all the difference in the world.
Old Age: A Beginner’s Guide
By Michael Kinsley
2016
A baby boomer living with Parkinson’s disease gives a heads up to what all of the other boomers will be getting to in a few years. Funny and personal.
Paths to Healthy Aging
By Mehrdad Ayati, M.D. and Arezou Azarani, Ph.D.
2014
This is a workbook designed to get the reader/user involved in making decisions about what to do to age well. An easy guide that will serve a practical and integral purpose.
So there you have it! 23 books about aging to read in 2022.
I hope you find some good reads in this list that help you and your loved ones adjust to aging.
Spine & Leaf Books 
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