Fifty Is the New Fifty

February 2, 2009
In a time when How Not to Look Old
is a bestseller, and the women who came of age during the 1960s are now in their 60s, outspoken women's movement veteran Levine (Inventing the Rest of Our Lives
) advises women 50-plus to reject the desire to recapture youth and acknowledge their great good fortune in arriving at a point where they can creatively enhance the rest of their lives. Citing Madeleine L'Engle's observation, “the great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been,” Levine uses this book to air and explore her own feelings, and those of other women, about moving from the “Fuck-You Fifties” to a pleasanter, stress-defusing outlook characterized by a growing ability “to not take lesser things too seriously.” She offers a 10-step strategy for avoiding a descent into “The Fertile Void,” where late-midlife women find themselves in a state of confusion and lost self-confidence. The self-help lessons are nothing new: “be your age, not your stage”; take responsibility for your physical and emotional life; “accept that you are not who you were, only older”; use what you already know. Advertising-style jargon and nonsensical slogans get in the way of an otherwise promising positive message.

February 15, 2009
It may surprise many people to learn that most women age 50 and over are rediscovering themselves more than settling down. So writes Levine ("Inventing the Rest of Our Lives"), the first editor of "Ms". magazine, who uses personal observations and case studies to encourage women to change what has not worked in their lives, develop connections with like-minded women, and take responsibility for their practical and emotional lives. Award-winning journalist Sammons ("We Carry Each Other") covers some of the same territory but employs stories of both men and women to illustrate that it's never too late to reinvent one's life. The outcome is a manual of sorts to help readers dream, stay focused, and make the changes they want to see in the world. Both books are recommended for libraries seeking to augment an existing boomer collection.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.