30 Lessons for Living
Gerontologist Dr. Karl Pillemer interviewed hundreds of people over the age of 65, identified as "the experts," across the United States to discover their advice, tips, and lessons for living a fulfilling life. This resulted in 30 practical lessons compiled in the book "30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans."
Introduction
The lessons cover a wide variety of topics such as what to consider when choosing a career, qualities to look for in a long-lasting marriage, and how to live a life without regrets. Pillemer includes short stories from the experts, describing their experiences, to provide deeper insights. Whether you’re single, in a relationship, or married with children, the book offers tips that apply to all walks of life.
Writing Style
The book presents concise and well-connected points between the lessons and expert stories. However, some lessons did not fully engage me in comparison to others. For example, there was a section that focused on raising children, and as someone in their mid-20s and single, the lessons were insightful but did not pull me in to learn more.
Bias
Due to the book's large sample size and inclusion of experts from diverse ethnic backgrounds (African American, Latino, and AAPI), Pillemer's study appears unbiased as it was conducted with a viable random sample. Each lesson is reinforced with at least three stories, providing subjective viewpoints from the experts. Overall, the reliable methodology employed in the study contributes to the book's credibility.
Takeaways
After reading the book, the lessons frequently came to mind as I contemplated different decisions. One example occurred when my tour guide asked me about scuba diving. Initially, I was wary; however, as I continued to reflect on the book's lessons of being open to more opportunities, I agreed. The next thing I knew, I was swimming alongside fishies in the East Vietnam Sea.
Another lesson from the book was about making decisions as if you would have your body for a hundred years. This lesson made me reconsider daily habits like what I ate during meals. This may include food and drinks such as alcohol, red meat, and junk food. These foods stood out the most because they increase the likelihood of contracting common diseases. Instead of always eating these foods, I substituted some portions with passion fruit, broccoli, and other greens to increase the likelihood of having a healthy, fit body for the years to come.
Conclusion
Dr. Karl Pillemer's study on lessons for living a fulfilling life resulted in an extraordinary compendium of wisdom in "30 Lessons for Living Life." With how the study was conducted and the writing style of including different voices of the experts, I am rating this book 4/5 stars.
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