Getting Over Getting Older: An Intimate Journey

Pogrebin (Deborah, Golda and Me), a founding editor of Ms magazine, is the latest baby boomer to weigh in with her thoughts on what turning 50 means to a woman. In anecdotes that range from humorous and insightful to occasionally tedious and self-indulgent, drawn from her own experiences and from the lives of friends, the 55-year-old Pogrebin ruminates on the pros and cons of aging. According to the author, the loss of a youthful appearance and a decrease in energy are offset by the freedom that comes when child-rearing ends. Age, she says, can also bring a heightened sense of living in the now. Of particular interest is an account of Pogrebin's emotional turmoil when she had to have a needle biopsy after a suspicious mammogram reading. Although much of her advice for coping with midlife, such as the benefits of discovering solitude, is useful, certain suggestions like living well and traveling are available only to the financially secure. Major ad/promo. (May)