Growing Older Without Feeling Old

on vitality and ageing
Rudi Westendorp (trans. David Shaw)

‘An entertaining and revealing book about our delayed ageing and death, about astonishing future prospects and our failure to take simple measures to prevent diseases such as dementia.’

De Volkskrant

‘Westendorp stresses above all the positive aspects of the fact that we are living to an increasingly advanced age. He also explains with great clarity how we can gain control of our long lives.’

Trouw

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‘A navigation system for the second life that lies ahead.’

De Morgen

‘One by one, Westendorp demolishes ingrained ideas about old age and ageing. He offers a brand new perspective on old age.’

Het Belang van Limburg

‘This is not a glib book about searching for the elixir of youth in a jar or via surgical means, but a serious study, albeit in easy-to-read prose. There’s no prescription to prevent mental and physical impairment, but a wide-ranging survey that encompasses societal and economic as well as personal responsibilities to prolong productivity.’

Thuy On, The Age

‘[T]he message that we each hold the reins to success in life’s third trimester is a refreshing tonic in a world awash with quack rejuvenants.’

Paul Biegler, Sydney Morning Herald

‘Eminently reasonable. At a time when too much of what is written about the elderly is depressingly downbeat, dwelling only on decline and dementia, Westendorp’s book provides a valuable and cheering alternative.’

Daily Mail

‘[A] quietly ambitious book … both fascinating and, ultimately, optimistic.'

P.S. Cottier, Canberra Times

The past century has witnessed a revolution.

Less than a hundred years ago, the average Western life expectancy was 40; now it is 80. And there is no end in sight: the first person who will reach 135 has already been born. It’s the most radical change in our society since industrialisation, and naturally it raises many questions.

What do longer life spans mean for the way we organise our societies? How can people best prepare themselves for living considerably longer? Does it help to eat less, or to take hormones, vitamins, or minerals? And what can we learn from old people who remain full of vitality, despite illness and infirmity?

Growing Older without Feeling Old is the definitive book on a key issue for the 21st century, written by one of the world’s leading experts in geriatric medicine. Combining medical, biological, economic, and sociological insights, Rudi Westendorp explores the causes of the ageing revolution and explains how we can greet it with confidence and enjoy leading longer, healthier, and more productive lives than ever before.

‘An entertaining and revealing book about our delayed ageing and death, about astonishing future prospects and our failure to take simple measures to prevent diseases such as dementia.’

De Volkskrant

‘Westendorp stresses above all the positive aspects of the fact that we are living to an increasingly advanced age. He also explains with great clarity how we can gain control of our long lives.’

Trouw

View all reviews

‘A navigation system for the second life that lies ahead.’

De Morgen

‘One by one, Westendorp demolishes ingrained ideas about old age and ageing. He offers a brand new perspective on old age.’

Het Belang van Limburg

Thuy On, The Age

‘[T]he message that we each hold the reins to success in life’s third trimester is a refreshing tonic in a world awash with quack rejuvenants.’

Paul Biegler, Sydney Morning Herald

Daily Mail

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 210mm × 135mm

Extent:320pp

ISBN (13):9781925106916

RRP:$29.99

Pub date:29 Jul 2015

Rights Held: World English

Rights Sold: India (Speaking Tiger)

High-res cover:Download Image

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AUTHOR

Rudi Westendorp

Professor Rudi Westendorp was trained at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) in the Netherlands, and specialised in intensive care and epidemiology. Later, he focussed on geriatrics and gerontology. In 2000, he was appointed professor of medicine, and, from 2005 to 2012, he was head of the Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics at the LUMC. In 2008, he founded and became the first director of the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, a research institute that provides training, conducts research, and initiates developments in the field of vitality and ageing. In addition, since 2012, he has been director of the VITALITY! programme, part of Medical Delta, an innovative partnership of academic and public institutions, and enterprises, in the south-west of the Netherlands. In 2015, he moved his workplace to Denmark, where he was appointed Professor of Old-Age Medicine at the University of Copenhagen.

TRANSLATOR

David Shaw

David Shaw works as a journalist for Germany’s international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, as well as translating from several languages, including German, Dutch, Russian, and French. He lives in Berlin.