From Age-Ing to Sage-Ing: A Profound New Vision of Growing Older

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 320 pages
• Published by: Grand Central Publishing December 1, 1997
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0446671770
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0446671774
• Book Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 4.8 ounces

From Library Journal
In the next twenty years 75 million Americans will be reaching retirement age. To deal with this sea change, Rabbi Schachter-Shalomi (Paradigm Shift, Jason Aronson, 1993) introduces the concept of "eldering," or mentoring, each other in the years ahead. He contends that we are at the cutting edge of the next stage in our evolution and that elders will bring us into this more compassionate, intuitive, and caring era. In Part 1 of the book, Schachter-Shalomi recommends meditation, exercise, and spiritual healing to help individuals enter their later years, while in Part 2 he speaks to our limited perceptions of death. Creating ceremonies and learning to forgive help ease the transition into death, according to Schachter-Shalomi, who believes in the certainty of life after death. Adding a personal dimension, the rabbi compassionately relates his own mental crisis as he approaches the age of sixty to help readers understand the process. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries with gerontology collections.?Lisa Wise, Univ. of Southern Colorado, Pueblo
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Schachter-Shalomi, a rabbi dreading retirement, realized that he must "recontextualize aging as the anticipated fulfillment of life, not its inevitable decline." So he devised Spiritual Eldering--a social activism, awareness, and mentoring program. The rabbi provides instructions on selecting people to mentor and how to go about doing so. He supples advice on helping individuals, family, community, and the planet. In his analysis of how elderly people can learn conscious dying (or the acceptance of death), the author pulls concepts from multiple religious traditions: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, among others. A worthwhile, multicultural look at the value of aging individuals and the work they could have in store for them. Denise Perry Donavin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Reader Reviews
The two chapters in this book that I appreciated the most were Chapter 8 Mentoring: Seeding the Future with Wisdom where on reads that modern day families all to often turn to some 'professional' when it comes to issues involving our families, and these 'experts' don't even have to have kids or even be close to their own families. Its the sheep skin with some Latin on it that makes them more knowledgeable than our own elders. And Chapter 9 Elders as Healers of Family, Community and Gaia. I ignored the Gaia aspect since its not something I am into. But the rest is pretty on target as far as how the inter generational health benefits are when children and young adults are around older people who have alot to offer, and how what they offer is more patience, a sense of humor and secure grounding that equates to security.