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

by Jo Ann Jenkins

Overview

Discover the inspiring national bestseller about aging and health that "will help us all live each year to the fullest" (Sheryl Sandberg).

We've all seen the ads on TV and in magazines-"50 is the new 30!" or "60 is the new 40!" A nice sentiment to be sure, but CEO of AARP Jo Ann Jenkins disagrees. 50 is 50, and she, for one, likes the look of it.

In Disrupt Aging, Jenkins focuses on three core areas-health, wealth, and self-to show us how to embrace opportunities and change the way we look at getting older. Here, she chronicles her own journey and that of others who are making their mark as disruptors to show readers how we can be active, healthy, and happy as we get older. Through this powerful and engaging narrative, she touches on all the important issues facing people 50+ today, from caregiving and mindful living to building age-friendly communities and making our money last.

This is a book for all the makers and doers who have a desire to continue exploring possibilities, to celebrate discovery over decline, and to seek out opportunities to live the best life there is.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610397742
Publisher:	PublicAffairs
Publication date:	04/10/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	382,709
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jo Ann Jenkins is the chief executive officer of AARP, the world's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to social change and helping people fifty and over to improve the quality of their lives. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Jenkins served as their chief operating officer and before that was the president of AARP Foundation, AARP's affiliated charity. Prior to the coming to the AARP Foundation, Jenkins was the CEO of the Library of Congress.

In May 2010, she was recognized by the technology industry with the eleventh annual Women in Technology Leadership Award for her innovative work on the Library of Congress Experience. She is also a recipient of the Library of Congress Distinguished Service Award. She is a Malcolm Baldrige fellow, recipient of the 2013 Black Women's Agenda Economic Development Award for spearheading investments undergirding innovative social impact programs, and one of the NonProfit Times' Power and Influence Top 50 for 2013 and 2014.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction: Why Disrupt Aging? 1

Chapter 1 The New Reality of Aging 11

Chapter 2 Own Your Age 33

Chapter 3 Design Your Life 51

Chapter 4 Take Control of Your Health 73

Chapter 5 Choose Where You Live 103

Chapter 6 Finance Your Future 131

Chapter 7 Put Your Experience to Work 157

Chapter 8 Let's Change the Rules 181

Chapter 9 A New Vision for Living and Aging in America 209

Join The Conversation 217

Take Action 219

Learn More: Resources 239

Acknowledgments 243

Notes 247

About The Author 267

Editorial Reviews

"A brilliant and compelling new look at the future of aging."—Joseph F. Coughlin, PhD, director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Age Lab

"In Disrupt Aging, Jenkins offers the generational call to action we've been waiting for: to break free from outmoded ideas about age, to embrace the rich possibilities present in the decades opening up beyond fifty, and to join a growing movement of individuals determined to live lives infused with purpose. Beautifully written, full of humor and inspiration, and powerfully argued, this book offers the definitive map for making the most of the longevity revolution, as individuals and as a nation."—Marc Freedman, founder and CEO, Encore.org, and author of The Big Shift

"Jo Ann Jenkins believes that age and experience can expand life's possibilities for all of us. In this personal and thought-provoking book, she inspires us to seize the opportunities that longer lives give us and to embrace aging as something to look forward to, not something to fear."—Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion

"In Disrupt Aging, Jo Ann Jenkins lays out a game plan for living your best life regardless of your age."—Dan Marino, former NFL quarterback

"Jo Ann's Disrupt Aging is spot on: every single year is a gift. By confronting the most common stereotypes about aging, this book will help us all live each year to the fullest."
—Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook, and founder, LeanIn.org

"Jenkins has written a playbook for improving life for adults at any age, pointing the way to the freedom to choose, earn, learn, and pursue happiness. With a positive outlook and many creative suggestions, this straightforward book will be an inspiration to boomers and millennials."
—Booklist

"Jo Ann Jenkins doesn't just challenge the stereotypes of aging, she reduces them to rubble, showing that our later years can be just as productive, meaningful, and purposeful as our primary working years. With inspiring stories of people redefining what it means to grow older, Disrupt Aging is for anyone who insists on living a life of connection, engagement, expansion, and possibility—at any age."—Arianna Huffington, cofounder, president, and editor-in-chief, Huffington Post Media Group

From the Publisher

05/01/2016
Jenkins, CEO of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), skillfully dismantles common assumptions around aging by presenting research, analysis, and achievements by individuals thriving in the middle and later parts of their lives. Drawing on studies that dispute the idea that people over age 50 who remain in the workforce take opportunities away from younger workers, Jenkins instead suggests economic security and overall well-being are shared possibilities for people of all ages and backgrounds. She adds that those over 50 play a leading role as consumers of goods and services of all kinds, noting that this fast-growing population drives the economy and influences public policy in communities, safety, health, and social security. Jenkins clearly demonstrates how this generation contributes a lifetime of expertise, energy, and financial resources to support civic institutions and a broad range of neighborhoods while making sacrifices to care for grandchildren and aging loved ones. The text is aided by questions for awareness and action relating to health and lifestyle goals. VERDICT While specific tax and Medicare terms are from a U.S. perspective, this book will appeal to an extensive audience, especially those interested in what's possible when all of us live longer, healthier lives that connect us to our families and communities.—Bernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L.

Library Journal