Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in 2nd Half of Life
author Gene Cohen is "Aging America's Senior Lifestyle Super Man"
Professor David Demko, PhD.
AgeVenture News Service
Life expectancy has increased 25 years since 1900. The impact? 75 million baby boomers are heading into mid-life, and they need a pathfinder who can show them the way. Well, boomers, you're in luck. You've got a talented guide in Dr. Gene Cohen, and he's got a great compass ... his visionary book,
THE CREATIVE AGE: AWAKENING HUMAN POTENTIAL IN THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE. (photo).
Cohen is a pioneering gerontologist, psychiatrist, and political advocate for aging Americans. As readers will soon discover, Cohen is "Aging America's Senior Lifestyle Super Man".
That's the man. Now here's his message. "Everyone - of any age - must cultivate a creative and
productive life." Sure we've managed to make gains in life-expectancy through changes in health, lifestyle and physiology. That's the good news. But Cohen is concerned that "We have forgotten about our social and creative
needs. Boomers have spent so much time balancing family and work that the
opportunities for creative pursuits have gone by the wayside. Much to our
detriment, we have left much personal creative energy largely untapped."
Cohen says that nurturing our relationships, hobbies, sports, religion, and
volunteerism provide as much assistance to reaching old age and to aging
well as being diligent about diet and exercise. He asserts that nurturing
creativity actually helps us stay healthier and more mentally alert than
anyone previously thought possible.
Readers will learn how to incorporate the full scope of their creative
potential into every day life, by using the analogy of a financial portfolio
that matures over time. Cohen has created a Social Portfolio of four
components:
- liquidity --hobbies, interests and relationships that are easily
accessible
- diversification --depending on circumstances, some of these will be better
developed than others
- alternative resources --or emergency funds, with which we can express
ourselves in case we suffer physical decline or the loss of a close loved
one
- long-term growth --guides people to activities that will help them to get
the most out of their creative expression.
Cohen urges us to focus on what we enjoy, and what is feasible, tried and
true, and not to chase the magic anti-aging bullets that raise hope with
false promises. Combining traditional scientific methodology with
long-practiced mind/body/spirit methods of reflection, reassessment,
acceptance, and positive thinking, Gene Cohen astutely re-interprets a wide
range of the latest medical, biological and sociological studies on aging.
So get with it, boomers. Those fancy-schmancy pieces of exercise equipment and anti-aging
chow being hawked on television infomercials aren't going to change your life. This book will.
And it's a life-enhancing tool that doesn't cost an arm, a leg, and four hefty installment
payments.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gene R. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., is the first Director for the Center for Aging,
Health and Humanities at George Washington University, where he is also
Professor of Health Care Sciences and Professor of Psychiatry. Founding
Director of the Washington, D.C. Center on Aging (established in 1994), the
first think-tank on aging, he was also the first Chief of the Center on
Aging of the National Institute of Mental Health, which was the first
federal center on mental health and aging established in any country. Cohen
was the first Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Geriatric
Psychiatry, and was the first Editor-in-Chief of International
Psychogeriatrics, the official journal of the International Psychogeriatric
Association. During his tenure with the federal government, he received the
Public Health Service (PHS) Distinguished Service Medal (the highest honor
of the PHS), and he also received the Kent Award from The Gerontological
Society of America. Cohen is recognized in Best Doctors in America, Who's
Who in America, and Who's Who in the World.
THE CREATIVE AGE: AWAKENING HUMAN POTENTIAL IN THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE
by Gene Cohen, M.D., Ph.D
$25.00/432 pages/B&W illustrations
Graphic Credit: HarperCollins Publishers.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
David Demko reports on lifestyle issues and trends in Aging America.
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