THE SWEDISH ART OF AGING EXUBERANTLY

4 stars out of 5

Delightful! It helps, no doubt, that I'm close in age with the author (although there's good advice here for readers of just about any age). But She tells it like it is - or should be - in a humorous, entertaining but matter-of-fact manner.

Truth is, I decided to request this one simply because her other best-selling book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, sounded so right-on-the-money (I don't know about you, but my potential heirs are way less than thrilled at the thought of having to get rid of all the things my husband and I have collected over the years). To me, they're all precious memories; but to them, almost all of it is George Carlin "stuff." Anyway, I identified with the author's take on that subject, so I wanted to see what she has to say in this one.

And I certainly wasn't disappointed; she offers more practical advice for us oldies but still goodies. But this time, happily, I've already put much of it into play in my own life (well, except for the getting a walker or cane part; that one, I think, I'll resist to the very end - or at least till one of my doctors tells me that unless I get one, it's my end is likely to come sooner than I want). Like her, I'm up for "making aging itself into an art." Her creative approaches, even those I'm already doing, are a huge boost in that direction.

Of course, I can't get too specific without spilling too many beans, but I'll mention a couple of personal favorites: First, if you bring something new into the house, take something else out. Nobody wants to clean up your stash after you're gone. Second, surround yourself with younger people. You'll stay in touch with what's going on around you and learn a lot; but as the author points out, they also provide a way to "stay in tune" with the young person you used to be.

The book concludes with a few more tips on "death cleaning" - which I heartily recommend as well (even if at this point it's more of a do-as-she-says than do-as-I-really do issue). Bottom line? Love the book; it's great for older folks like me, but there's plenty of good advice here for younger generations as well. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly by Margareta Magnusson (Scribner, December 2022); 160 pp.