Our society worships at the fountain of youth. Each year, we try to delay the arrival of old age, using everything at our disposal, from extreme exercise and botox to pilates and cosmetic dentistry. But in the process, are we missing out on a distinct and extraordinarily valuable stage of life?

Asking whether it is better to be forever young or to grin toothlessly and live an authentic old age, bestselling author Daniel Klein journeys to the Greek island of Hydra. There he draws on the lives of octogenarian Greek locals, as well as philosophers ranging from Epicurus to Sartre, to discover the secrets of ageing happily. An escapist travel memoir, a droll meditation, and an optimistic guide to living well, this is a delightful jaunt through the terrain of old age, led by a witty and uniquely perceptive modern-day sage.

'A truly benign and valuable short book, that is rare in conveying the spirit as well as the thought of the ancient Greek philosophers, by celebrating the wisdom that emerges in old age.' -- Mark Vernon, author of 42: Deep Thought on Life, the Universe and Everything

About the Author

Daniel Klein is the co-author of the international bestseller Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar. He is a Harvard graduate in philosophy and an acclaimed writer of both fiction and nonfiction. When not enjoying the slow life on Greek islands, he lives in Massachusetts with his wife. He is seventy-five years old.

Reviews

It's an affectionate portrait of the island [of Hydra] but is really a primer on making the most of life'

* Daily Telegraph, best books of 2014 *

'I was bowled over by its easy charm and hard-won wisdom.'

* Daily Mail *

'Charming and intelligent. I enjoyed this book very much.'

-- Diana Athill

'Wry, whimsical, amusing and intelligent.'

* Daily Telegraph *

'Charming and accessible, this philosophical survey simply and accessibly makes academic philosophy relevant to ordinary human emotion.'

* Kirkus Reviews *

'An insightful meditation.'

* The New York Times *

'Both seduces and delights.'

* Scotsman *

'Klein's narrative is a delightful and spirited conversation, offering up the ingredients inherent to the art of living well in old age.'

* Publishers Weekly *

'Funny and wry.'

* Huffington Post *



Book Information
ISBN 9781780744124
Author Daniel Klein
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint Oneworld Publications
Publisher Oneworld Publications
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 13mm