Periodically, we like to make sure you’re aware of newly published or about-to-be-published books by authors addressing various aspects of aging. This new season is no exception to the trend of “aging” books, each written about a different and sometimes highly personal challenge that many of us face as we get older.

First, consider the brand new book by biologist and natural historian Bernt Heinrich, renowned not only for his decades of teaching at the University of Vermont but for his lengthy running career, including his devotion to ultra-marathons. The 81-year-old Heinrich has just published his most recent book, Racing The Clock: Running Across a Lifetime. Part memoir of a long, productive life, and part scientific investigation of the impact of running on the biology of aging, Heinrich examines why different bodies age differently and explores the relationship between diet, exercise, metabolism, and aging, turning the lens on himself as a focus of attention. Still running at age 81 (though no longer marathons), you can listen and watch him as he discusses his current life (off the grid in a log cabin in Vermont) and consider his exploration of himself as an “experiment of one.” Click here to meet Dr. Heinrich.

Another memoir of sorts, this one highly personal and described as beautifully written, comes from a first-time published author, 82-year-old Ann Ingle, whose book, “ Openhearted: Eighty Years of Love, Loss, Laughter and Letting Go” comes out today. In this account of her life, Ingle describes meeting and marrying a husband who eventually succumbed to mental illness, and a life of raising 8 children with insecure finances in her transplanted home of Dublin (she is originally from London). In between the sadness she describes, there are essays addressing activism, aging, education, and religion. Ultimately it’s a story of survival and thriving in the face of serious adversity. She states that she wrote the book so that her “grandchildren will know what happened in her life.” When asked why she only published her first book so late in life, she replied, “I wish now I had started (writing) earlier. I just didn’t have the time. I was too busy doing things, getting on in life.” For more of her story, grab your tissues and read here.

On a more practical note, employment and older worker expert Kerry Hannon, whom we’ve referenced many times in agebuzz, has a brand new book coming out in November called “In Control at 50+: How To Succeed In The New World Of Work.” Recognizing that our post-pandemic work world may require a whole new set of skills and navigation, Hannon provides excellent advice to older workers looking to find a place, or retain a position, in this new environment. 

Finally, for some lighter but insightful reading, consider the new book by social media influencer Denise Boomkens called And Bloom: The Art Of Aging Unapologetically.” Profiling and interviewing over 100 women she describes as “extraordinary ‘ordinary’ women over 40” this about-to-be-published book celebrates older female beauty along with advice about how to age happily and powerfully. To find out more about the book and the joyous aging philosophy of Denise Boomkens, click here.