The Upside of Aging - by Paul Irving (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Upside of Aging: How Long Life Is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy and Purpose explores a titanic shift that will alter every aspect of human existence, from the jobs we hold to the products we buy to the medical care we receive - an aging revolution underway across America and the world. Moving beyond the stereotypes of dependency and decline that have defined older age, The Upside of Aging reveals the vast opportunity and potential of this aging phenomenon, despite significant policy and societal challenges that must be addressed. The book's chapter authors, all prominent thought-leaders, point to a reinvention and reimagination of our older years that have critical implications for people of all ages.

With a positive call to action, the book illuminates the upside for health and wellness, work and volunteerism, economic growth, innovation and education. The authors, like the baby boom generation itself, posit new ways of thinking about aging, as longevity and declining birthrates put the world on track for a mature population of unprecedented size and significance. Among topics they examine are:

• The emotional intelligence and qualities of the aging brain that science is uncovering, "senior moments" notwithstanding.
• The new worlds of genomics, medicine and technology that are revolutionizing health care and wellness.
• The aging population's massive impact on global markets, with enormous profit potential from an explosion in products and services geared toward mature consumers.
• New education paradigms to meet the needs and aspirations of older people, and to capitalize on their talents.
• The benefits that aging workers and entrepreneurs bring to companies, and the crucial role of older people in philanthropy and society.
• Tools and policies to facilitate financial security for longer and more purposeful lives.
• Infrastructure and housing changes to create livable cities for all ages, enabling "aging in place" and continuing civic contribution from millions of older adults.
• The opportunities and potential for intergenerational engagement and collaboration.

The Upside of Aging defines a future that differs profoundly from the retirement dreams of our parents and grandparents, one that holds promise and power and bears the stamp of a generation that has changed every stage of life through which it has moved.

From the Back Cover

An aging revolution is changing the world, a titanic shift that will alter every aspect of human existence. The Upside of Aging: How Long Life is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy, and Purpose moves beyond the stereotypes of dependency and decline that have defined older age to look at aging in a new way. Exploring the vast potential of longer lives, The Upside of Aging reveals how the challenges can be met with positive solutions for people of all ages.

The authors, all prominent thought leaders, reveal the remarkable upside for health, work and entrepreneurship, volunteerism, innovation, and education, as longevity and declining birth rates create a mature population of unprecedented size and significance. In enlightening, fact-based chapters, the writers examine dramatic opportunities arising from the intelligence of the aging brain, and the health and wellness revolution emerging from the worlds of genomics, medicine, and technology. They describe the enormous profit potential from the aging demographic's massive impact on global markets, the attributes of a mature workforce, the tools to make our older years purposeful and financially secure, and the new education paradigms incorporating older people as students and scholars. They detail the baby boomers' crucial role in philanthropy and intergenerational collaboration, and discuss the development of livable cities that herald even more civic contribution from millions of older adults.

(With insight and intelligence, The Upside of Aging defines a future that differs profoundly from the retirement dreams of our parents and grandparents, one that holds promise and power and bears the stamp of a generation that has changed every stage of life through which it has moved.

About the Author

PAUL H. IRVING is president of the Milken Institute, where he leads initiatives to improve public health and aging across America and the world, expand capital access, and enhance philanthropic impact. Under his direction, the Institute produced the widely acknowledged Best Cities for Successful Aging index. Formerly CEO of a large professional services firm and a corporate lawyer, Irving remains actively involved in global business and charitable leadership in his "encore career".