Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?: The Path of Purposeful Aging

by Richard J. Leider, David Shapiro

Overview

Grow old on purpose. This book invites readers to navigate a purposeful path from adulthood to elderhood with choice, curiosity, and courage.

Everyone is getting old; not everyone is growing old. But the path of purposeful aging is accessible to all—and it’s fundamental to health, happiness, and longevity.

With a focus on growing whole through developing a sense of purpose in later life, Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? celebrates the experience of aging with inspiring stories, real-world practices, and provocative questions. Framed by a long conversation between two old friends, the book reconceives aging as a liberating experience that enables us to become more authentically the person we always meant to be with each passing year.

In their bestseller Repacking Your Bags, Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro defined the good life as “living in the place you belong, with people you love, doing the right work, on purpose.” This book builds on that definition to offer a purposeful path for living well while aging well.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523092451
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	07/13/2021
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	73,270
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Richard J. Leider is the founder of Inventure—The Purpose Company, whose mission is to help people unlock the power of purpose. Widely viewed as a pioneer of the global purpose movement, Leider has written or cowritten eleven books, including three bestsellers, which have sold over one million copies.


David A. Shapiro is a philosopher, educator, and writer whose work consistently explores matters of meaning, purpose, and equity in the lives of young people and adults. He is a tenured philosophy professor at Cascadia College, a community college in the Seattle area.

Table of Contents

Preface Choosing the Path ix

Introduction The Long Conversation 1

1 Old? Who, Me? 9

2 If We All End Up Dying, What's the Purpose of Living? 20

3 Aren't I Somebody? 39

4 Am I Living the Good Life My Whole Life? 52

5 How Do I Stop Living a Default Life? 64

6 Am I Having a Late-Life Crisis? A 74

7 Will I Earn a Passing Grade in Life? 89

8 How Can I Grow Whole as I Grow Old? 101

9 How Will My Music Play On? 112

Afterword Staying on the Path 129

Acknowledgments 133

Index 135

About the Authors 143

Editorial Reviews

05/31/2021

In this valuable guide, executive coach Leider (Repacking Your Bags) and philosopher Shapiro lay out a plan for finding satisfaction for those entering their later years. “Taking the path of purposeful aging,” they write, requires “growing into elderhood, expressing more of our true selves in all that we do,” and waking up every day with the intention to grow and give. Each chapter centers on a common question about aging, such as what’s the purpose of living, if everyone is going to die? (The authors believe death gives life its meaning: “Growing old is not a bug in life’s program; it is a feature.”) Also pondered are “Will I Earn a Passing Grade in Life?” and “How Do I Stop Living a Default Life?” The authors then provide questions readers should ask themselves to inspire further emotional growth—such as what was the finest chapter of one’s life and why? What legacy does one want to leave? And what are one’s core values? The authors’ gentle tone and many helpful suggestions will make readers feel as if they are listening to a close friend. For aging readers inclined to live an examined life, this will provide much food for thought. (July)

Publishers Weekly

In this valuable guide, executive coach Leider (Repacking Your Bags) and philosopher Shapiro lay out a plan for finding satisfaction for those entering their later years…The authors’ gentle tone and many helpful suggestions will make readers feel as if they are listening to a close friend. For aging readers inclined to live an examined life, this will provide much food for thought.”
—Publishers Weekly

“In a culture that offers little guidance for growing old, but excels at pushing elders aside, here’s a book that will help us age into the fullness of life. I’ve been reading Richard Leider and Dave Shapiro with gratitude for years, and once again they’ve offered grounded guidance for the fourth quarter of life. Life is always a gift beyond measure, and there’s only one way to keep a gift alive: pass it along in growth and service as long as we have the chance. We who have reached old age are among the lucky ones, and this book will help us turn our good fortune into an asset for the world. I’m still a young man (81), but this book goes into my backpack as I journey on.”
—Parker J. Palmer, author of On the Brink of Everything, Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, and Healing the Heart of Democracy

“Leider knows of what he speaks. He's been studying the topic for over four decades, is the founder of Inventure: The Purpose Company and has written nine books about purpose, six of which he co-authored with Shapiro.”
—Next Avenue

"If we're lucky, we grow old. If we're wise, we grow whole. This powerful book is a poignant reminder that life is a crescendo. The plot thickens as life quickens toward the end. Richard and David help us make sense of this quickening to assure our life's path is purposeful."
—Chip Conley, bestselling author and founder of the Modern Elder Academy

“The books by Richard Leider and David Shapiro gave me a road map to find my life's passions and purpose. With this book, they lead an exploration into powerful and meaningful aging with fresh perspectives from inspiring people. Enjoy!”
—Cathy Wurzer, author and Emmy award-winning public radio & television journalist

“This excellent book gets to the heart of what I believe is the heart of healthy aging well: purpose matters. It is a manifesto on how to age well. Please read and share.”
—Dan Buettner, National Geographic Explorer, New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones

From the Publisher