Fifty Things to Do When You Turn Fifty

Erica Jong, Marianne Williamson, Harold Kushner and many lesser-known contributors to this volume offer a heap of advice, urging readers not only to ""keep a sense of adventure,"" (29) but to ""get smart about the IRS"" (151) and to ""read the Torah."" (225). Each of the chapters is brief, ranging from practical financial advice (129-164) to less concrete tips on spirituality and mindset. Religious scholar Robert Thurman says, ""To understand the meaning of life, I think you have to confront and deal with the meaning of death""; (220) public radio personality Garrison Keillor urges readers to ""start telling the truth"" and says that being 50 earns one the right to ""dare to express simple preference. (Do you want to go over to the Swansons for dinner? No, I don't.)"" (15) The contributors here range from a playwright and a poet (17-20, 26-28) to a professional astrologer (197-203) and an estate planning attorney (140-144), giving this collection the benefit of diverse points of view on various aspects of aging. Not all of the suggestions will appeal to all readers (you simply may not have the funds to invest in real estate(155)), but those who want reassurance that 50 is the age at which you start reaping the benefits of your labors will find much to appreciate here.