Old Man Country: My Search for Meaning Among the Elders

Summary

We aspire to live in a country where old men are celebrated as vital elders but not demeaned if they become ill and dependent. We aspire to maintain health as well as maintain dignity and fulfillment in frailty. Old Man Country helps listeners see and imagine these possibilities for themselves.

The book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom, as he encounters twelve distinguished American men over eighty—including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world's most famous heart surgeon. In these and other intimate conversations, the book explores and honors the particular way that each man faces four challenges of living a good old age: Am I still a man? Do I still matter? What is the meaning of my life? Am I loved? Listeners will come to see how each man—even the most famous—faces universal challenges.

Personal stories about work, love, sexuality, and hope mingle with stories about illness, loss, and death. This book will strengthen each of us as we and our loved ones anticipate and navigate our way through the passages of old age.