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About the Book
In a far-sighted and important report, Dychtwald warns that
unless we productively integrate the elderly into all levels of
our society, the U.S. will rapidly become an "elder wasteland." A
psychologist, gerontologist and corporate consultant, Dychtwald's
new book is a wake-up call to debt-laden baby boomers heading
toward poverty-stricken old age, to senior citizens and to society
as a whole. He succeeds admirably, even though his presentation is
weakened by catchy generalizations, facile predictions and
lecture-circuit style. Instead of a standard retirement at age
65, Dychtwald recommends "phased retirement" programs, long
practiced in Europe, as well as more portable pensions. He
advocates making self-care and disease prevention national
priorities and calls for the creation of a National Elder Corps
(loosely modeled on the Peace Corps). Some of his proposals will
prove controversial, such as raising the age when Social Security
and Medicare benefits begin or privatizing portions of Social
Security. In Dychtwald's framework, "middlescence" (a greatly
extended middle period of life, from age 40 to 60 and beyond)
will afford countless boomers a second chance to fulfill their
dreams. His optimism and openness to new ways of making the golden
years productive render this book a thought-provoking and
worthwhile read.
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