LOS ANGELES -- An aging revolution is changing the world, demanding that we look at our older years in a fresh way. A new book edited by Paul Irving, president of the Milken Institute, moves beyond the stereotypes of dependency and decline to do just that.
Exploring the vast potential of longer lives, The Upside of Aging: How Long Life is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy, and Purpose (Wiley) reveals how we can meet the challenges that accompany later life with positive solutions for people of all ages.
Irving and a distinguished group of contributing authors reveal the remarkable upside for health, work and entrepreneurship, volunteerism, innovation and education, as longevity and declining birth rates create a mature population of unprecedented size and significance.
"In the past century, discovery and innovation have enabled longevity that would be unimaginable to our forebears," says Irving. "Increased longevity has contributed to unprecedented global economic growth and new opportunities for personal fulfillment that previous generations could only dream of."
With a positive call to action, the book suggests new ways of thinking about aging. Among topics examined are:
• The emotional intelligence and qualities of the aging brain that science is uncovering.
• The new worlds of genomics, medicine and technology that are revolutionizing health care and wellness.
• The aging population's massive impact on global markets, with enormous profit potential from an explosion in products and services geared toward mature consumers.
• New education paradigms to meet the needs and aspirations of older people, and to capitalize on their talents.
• The benefits that aging workers and entrepreneurs bring to companies, and the crucial role of older people in philanthropy and society.
• Tools and policies to facilitate financial security for longer and more purposeful lives.
• Infrastructure and housing changes to create livable cities for all ages, enabling "aging in place" and continuing civic contribution from millions of older adults.
• The opportunities and potential for intergenerational engagement and collaboration.
The chapter authors of The Upside of Aging bring unique authority to the topic. Editor Paul Irving leads the Milken Institute's initiatives to improve public health and aging across America and the world, expand capital access, and enhance philanthropic impact. Under his direction, the Institute created the widely acknowledged Best Cities for Successful Aging index.
Contributing authors include the world's most authoritative voices on aging issues:
• Laura Carstensen, Professor of Psychology and Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. Professor in Public Policy, Stanford University; Founding Director, Stanford Center on Longevity
• Henry Cisneros, Chairman, City View; former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; former Mayor of San Antonio, Texas
• Anusuya Chatterjee, Senior Economist and Associate Director, Research, Milken Institute
• Pinchas Cohen, Dean, University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology
• Joseph F. Coughlin, Founder and Director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab
• Ken Dychtwald, President and CEO, Age Wave
• Marc Freedman, CEO and founder, Encore.org
• Sally Greengross, Member, U.K. House of Lords; Chief Executive, U.K. International Longevity Center
• Jody Heymann, Dean, UCLA Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health; Founding Director, WORLD Policy Analysis Institute
• Michael Hodin, Executive Director, Global Coalition on Aging; Managing Partner, High Lantern Group
• Dan Houston, President, Retirement, Insurance and Financial Services, the Principal Financial Group
• Steven Knapp, President, The George Washington University; Co-Chair, Age-Friendly DC Task Force
• Freda Lewis-Hall, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer Inc
• Michael Milken, Chairman of The Milken Institute
• Philip A. Pizzo, former Dean, Stanford University School of Medicine; David and Susan Heckerman Professor of Pediatrics and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Founding Director, Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute
• Barry Rand, Chief Executive Officer, AARP
• Susan Raymond, Executive Vice President, Changing Our World, Inc.
• Fernando Torres-Gil, Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; Director, UCLA Center for Policy Research on Aging
The Upside of Aging: How Long Life Is Changing the World of Health, Work, Innovation, Policy and Purpose is by Paul H. Irving. (April 2014; Hardcover & e-book; $39.95. ISBN: 978-1-118-69203-5)