Aging Wisely

May 5, 2014
Levine (Defying Dementia), former chief of neurology at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut, takes a comprehensive approach to his subject, discussing such topics as aging at the cellular and other biological levels, diseases affecting the elderly, ageism in American society, strategies for remaining vital in old age, and the technologically enhanced future of aging in the 21st century. Though readers will be intrigued by notable facts (56% of seniors have less than $25,000 in retirement savings) and will appreciate Levine’s compassionate advice (“Find a peaceful time every day for renewal...through meditation, prayer, walking, or any form of conscious solitude”), the book suffers from stylistic problems on the sentence level. Occasionally, the author also states the obvious: in a section on marriages between aging baby boomers, he writes, “There must also be respect for the other person, along with love and trust.” Though the book contains much useful information, it’s key content is obscured by clumsy prose.