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Library Journal Review
A kind of Whole Earth Catalog for senior citizens, this concise guide, written by three retired professionals, deals with hundreds of major issues confronting the elderly, complete with sensible solutions. In a friendly, easy-to-read style, this reference work not only addresses such practical and current topics as retirement, travel, finances, Medicaid, long-term care, and more, but also discusses the emotional concerns connected with aging. For possible future editions, the authors plan to update this information by soliciting suggestions from readers. Other features include listings of federal, state, local, and private resources with addresses, phone numbers, contact hours, and service descriptions. Another plus is the book's physical format with its 12 point type, 11 x 14 size, clear and useful illustrations, and topic titles listed in bold print at the top of each page. While similarities to self-help and resource books exist (Marjorie Stokell and Bonnie Kennedy's The Senior Citizen Handbook , Prentice Hall, 1986), the timeliness of this book's resources is unsurpassed. Public libraries and special collections need to have this valuable reference work in their collections.-- Linda Malone, Univ. of Virginia Health Sciences Ctr., Charlottesville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Aging brings major life changes, and the goal of this resource is to provide advice and direction on how to deal with those changes and enjoy the "second 50 years." The one- to six-page articles cover 26 major topics and approximately 400 subtopics. Major topics are alphabetically arranged and cover such things as housing, Social Security and Medicare, investments, legal matters (wills, estates), nutrition, travel, recreation, consumer rights, fraud, and health. The health section, which includes specific diseases, alcohol and drug abuse, health hotlines, and mental health, makes up one-third of the book. Bibliographic and referral sources are provided for most topics. Some articles are reprints from such other publications as the American Health Care Association Bulletin, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, and the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Articles dealing with factual information present useful details in a clear, succint manner. Those on choosing a nursing home, an attorney, or a physician are well done and include lists of questions to ask when interviewing for these services. The Social Security/Medicare section contains good charts explaining benefits. Other articles, while well intentioned, are subjective and at times preachy or cute. For example, a six-page article under "Fraud" is a rambling dissertation warning readers not to allow themselves to be emotionally "used" by family members or those who "appeal to our weaknesses." Nearly two pages of the article describe "the symptoms of a convict" and illustrate criminals' deviant behavior with "They will let their children starve as they give their money to prostitutes." In contrast, the remainder of the article gives a useful list of the various scams perpetrated against older people. A health article discussing depression is filled with the author's personal reminiscences and encouragement to think positively and "choose happiness." There is no reference to clinical depression or professional treatment. An article on cancer contains the purely subjective statement "it is my observation that most people can identify an emotional trauma that took place before the onset of cancer." Cartoon drawings of various types of germs are labeled with such names as "icky sticky" and "yucky-muck." Throughout the book are references to the Bible and Christian beliefs as antidotes for emotional and psychological problems. Pages of jokes and quotations are interspersed throughout. Format problems compound the manual's deficiencies. While 12-point type is used, it is not always employed in the numerous boxes in which charts, lists, and graphs appear. These boxes are gray and provide poor contrast for the visually impaired reader. The softcover book is 11 by 14 inches. It is heavy and awkward to hold in the normal reading position, and the size will present shelving and display problems for libraries. The organization of the book is confusing. Major topics are alphabetically arranged (except for health, which is at the end of the book), with the topic header in the upper right- or left-hand corner of the page. The subtopic header is beneath it in larger, boldface type, which catches the eye. This is confusing to the reader attempting to locate something alphabetically, since the subtopics are not arranged alphabetically. The extensive health section is not identified as such and is confusing since it begins another group of alphabetical entries. For example, the entry immediately following Widowed or Alone is Advice and Help, with no indication that the subject is now health. There is no index, and while the table of contents is comprehensive, its structure is that of an index in that subtopics are listed in alphabetical order under the topic. The drawback of this arrangement is that there is no page given for the major topic, and it is hard to figure out exactly where the section begins. The publisher's publicity for the book bills it as "a whole earth catalog" for senior citizens but, unlike the original Whole Earth Catalog, the information is not unique. There are many resources covering the same ground that are much more useful as reference tools: The Retirement Sourcebook or The Complete and Easy Guide to Social Security and Medicare (Fraser, 1992), among others. The Second 50 Years would not be a first choice at the reference desk; libraries that purchase a copy will want to put it in the circulating circulation. (Reviewed June 15, 1992)
