The Denial of Aging
So much for growing old gracefully. It's true that Americans spend billions of dollars trying to avoid growing old at all. And in Dr. Muriel Gillick's book, The Denial of Aging : Perpetual Youth, Eternal Life, and Other Dangerous Fantasies , Gillick offers thought-provoking arguments for stepping away from the proverbial fountain of youth and embracing the fact that no one lives forever.
A critic of the one-size-fits-all approach to prevention, Gillick believes that too many tests and invasive procedures designed to avoid death at all costs can hurt, rather than help, the elderly. And she believes we need to replace our relentless focus on acute medical problems with a better approach to chronic illness.
Muriel R. Gillick, M.D. is Associate Professor of Ambulatory Care and Prevention at Harvard Medical School and staff physician for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates.
What others are saying about The Denial of Aging :
Perpetual Youth, Eternal Life, and Other
Dangerous Fantasies*
"Finally, a book that tells the truth about aging, starting with the fact that eating right and exercising will not prevent it. Dr. Gillick provides a fascinating guide for the journey into old age, and shows us how to make the best of it. Boomers (and most other grown-ups) will find her book right on target."
--Marcia Angell
"Get real. You are going to get old and die, if you don't die young first. Face it. Prepare for it. Gillick teaches us how to age with grace, spend healthcare money wisely, retire productively, and die with dignity. It's a great achievement."
--George D. Lundberg, M.D., Editor in Chief, Medscape Core and Medscape General Medicine
* Statements reflect personal points of view; they do not reflect the endorsement of the institutions with which the individuals that are being quoted are affiliated.