The Best Later Years
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Summary
What people fear is not sudden death, but the endless torment of being bedridden and unable to care for themselves.
Psychologist Daniel J. Levitin has also gradually entered old age. One morning he found he could not make out the words in the newspaper; he thought the paper had shrunk its typeface, and even suspected his arms had shrunk overnight. Aging arrived so abruptly that it plunged him into endless reflection, and prompted him to weave what he had thought and learned, together with research findings, into a book.
This book explains from a popular-science perspective what life in later years is like and what difficulties older people face, so that we may understand our aging relatives with greater care and empathy; it also introduces various scientific truths about aging and helps us prepare in advance to guard against it. In addition, the author shares outstanding examples of elder care and hospice care from around the world, as well as the lives of older people who live their later years with relish. Global aging is inevitable, but we can choose to rage against the dying of the light rather than go gently into that good night.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- People in midlife who are beginning to plan the blueprint for their future and want a scientific understanding of the aging process.
- Adult children or caregivers with elders in the family who hope to understand their physical and mental state more deeply and thereby improve communication and care.
- Readers interested in neuroscience, psychology, or human development who want to understand changes in the brain and behavior in later life.
- Anyone who reflects on the ultimate question of how to live a life with dignity and meaning.
Not a good fit for
- Pragmatists looking for quick-fix health tips or simple checklists.
- Readers who prefer literary, story-driven narratives and grow impatient with scientific exposition and data.
Reading tips
- It is best to read alongside your own or your family's life experience, cross-checking the book's scientific findings with everyday observation; understanding will be deeper.
- The book involves some technical concepts, but the author explains them clearly; there is no need to master everything at once—focus on grasping the core ideas and conclusions.
- After reading, try discussing the book's ideas with family or friends; this is itself a way to build positive social connections and put the book's ideas into practice.
About the publisher
Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 前言
- 第一部分 不断发育、发展的大脑
- 第1章 个体差异和人格：寻找魔力数字
- 第2章 记忆力及自我意识：记忆力衰退的原因
- 第2.5章 中插章：初探大脑
- 第3章 感知：身体对世界的感知
- 第4章 智力：解决问题的大脑
- 第5章 从情绪到动机：蛇、摇摆桥、《广告狂人》和压力
- 第6章 社会因素：与他人相处的生活
- 第7章 疼痛：这样很疼
- 第二部分 我们的选择
- 第8章 生物钟：现在是凌晨两点，为什么我饿了
- 第9章 饮食：健脑食品、益生菌和自由基
- 第10章 运动：运动很重要
- 第11章 睡眠：记忆巩固、DNA修复、睡眠激素
- 第三部分 新时代的长寿
- 第12章 活得更久：端粒、缓步动物、胰岛素和僵尸细胞
- 第13章 活得更聪明：认知提升
- 第14章 活得更精彩：人生中最美妙的日子
- 附录 让大脑重焕新生
- 致谢
- 图表版权
- 注释
FAQ
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About the author
Daniel J. Levitin is an author about whom Chinese-language publishing information is currently limited; one of his works, The Best Later Years, is included in the database. Judging from the available information, the book is classified under applied psychology, suggesting that it is written for general readers and focuses on the psychological state and life adjustment of people in later life rather than on purely academic theory. Because public information on the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, English name, and personal background is limited, a more detailed account of his life cannot be given at present. As far as the existing work shows, Levitin's writing tends toward the practical and accessible, grounding psychological knowledge in a specific stage of life and in everyday circumstances, helping readers understand the psychological changes of aging and find ways to cope with them. For readers interested in the psychology of aging, life planning, and self-help psychology, this work offers a useful point of entry.
Kuang Huiling is a Chinese book author. Public information about her is currently limited: all that is known is that the library holds one work by her, The Best Years of Later Life (Zui Hao de Wan Nian), commonly classified as applied psychology. Judging from the title and category, the book focuses on the psychological state and life adjustment of people in later life and is written for general readers, falling within the field of psychology applied to everyday living. The author develops this theme by grounding psychological knowledge in concrete situations, explaining in clear and accessible terms the changes and psychological needs that older people face, and exploring how to approach later life with a positive outlook. Because little verifiable information is available, a full picture of her personal experience, professional background, and writing as a whole cannot yet be presented; the existing work reflects her attention to the psychology of later life and her approach to writing popular psychology and practical life guidance, offering some reference value for readers concerned with life in old age.
