30 Lessons for Living, Karl Pillemer
30 Lessons for Living, Karl Pillemer
3 Rating(s)
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30 Lessons for Living
Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans

Author: Karl Pillemer

Narrator: Sean Pratt

Unabridged: 8 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 12/06/2011


Synopsis

More than one thousand extraordinary Americans share their stories and the wisdom they have gained on living, loving, and finding happiness.

After a chance encounter with an extraordinary ninety-year-old woman, renowned gerontologist Karl Pillemer began to wonder what older people know about life that the rest of us don't.

His quest led him to interview more than one thousand Americans over the age of sixty-five to seek their counsel on all the big issues- children, marriage, money, career, aging. Their moving stories and uncompromisingly honest answers often surprised him. And he found that he consistently heard advice that pointed to these thirty lessons for living. Here he weaves their personal recollections of difficulties overcome and lives well lived into a timeless book filled with the hard-won advice these older Americans wish someone had given them when they were young.

Like This I Believe, StoryCorps's Listening Is an Act of Love, and Tuesdays with Morrie, 30 Lessons for Living is a book to keep and to give. Offering clear advice toward a more fulfilling life, it is as useful as it is inspiring.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Robin on July 15, 2012

I was hoping this book would tell us the secrets of the good life. It does, but it's not fun to read. It's a bit boring. The lessons given are excellent, though. Following are the notes I took from the first hundred pages of the book, before I quit. On marriage: 1. Marry someone a lot like you; who ha......more

Goodreads review by Sean on September 04, 2016

It's very heartwarming (and at time emotionally stirring) to read these stories of the elderly, to be so privileged as to gleam a silver of their accumulated wisdom. TL;DR: -Don't go to bed angry. Most things couples disagree upon aren't worth more than a day's combat. -If you can't wake up in the mor......more

Goodreads review by Audrey on January 02, 2018

Some interesting insights about marriage and parenting, but nothing really groundbreaking. The opinions seem to be somewhat biased by the Boomer generation that grew up during the depression or WWII. They seemed somewhat self-centered in their thinking, and I hope that the next generation will have......more

Goodreads review by Karen on April 12, 2012

Wow! I think this book came along at a great time for me -- I was feeling like I was stuck in a little bit of a rut and I walked away from this with lot of great ideas for living life well --a super easy read and filled with anecdotes, each chapter focuses on different areas that make up our exsiste......more

Goodreads review by Henrik on September 13, 2023

2023-09-13: Title: 30 lessons for living Author: Karl Pillemer Jane Brody Year published: 2011 Type of book: after interviewing elders tried, and true advice about work and life and love. As it says, on the book, a glorious mix of sociology and self-help. Karl Pillemer (Phd) is an internationally renow......more