Aging With Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives |
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Author:
David Snowdon
By Bantam
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: $15.00
Our Price: $8.55
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Product Description
In 1986 Dr. David Snowdon, one of the world’s leading experts on Alzheimer’s disease, embarked on a revolutionary scientific study that would forever change the way we view aging—and ultimately living. Dubbed the “Nun Study” because it involves a unique population of 678 Catholic sisters, this remarkable long-term research project has made headlines worldwide with its provocative discoveries.
Yet Aging with Grace is more than a groundbreaking health and science book. It is the inspiring human story of these remarkable women—ranging in age from 74 to 106—whose dedication to serving others may help all of us live longer and healthier lives.
Totally accessible, with fascinating portraits of the nuns and the scientists who study them, Aging with Grace also offers a wealth of practical findings:
• Why building linguistic ability in childhood may protect against Alzheimer’s
• Which ordinary foods promote longevity and healthy brain function
• Why preventing strokes and depression is key to avoiding Alzheimer’s
• What role heredity plays, and why it’s never too late to start an exercise program
• How attitude, faith, and community can add years to our lives
A prescription for hope, Aging with Grace shows that old age doesn’t have to mean an inevitable slide into illness and disability; rather it can be a time of promise and productivity, intellectual and spiritual vigor—a time of true grace.
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Inspiration, insight and hope into the aging process, 2008-12-11
As the daughter of an aging parent, I am interested in learning as much as I can about the aging process for the sake of my mother, myself and other family members/friends. This book is a gem. It is a moving and personal account by the scientist who led an amazing longitudinal study of a group of nuns. This study was unique in a way that no other Alzheimer's study has been.
As I read the book, I felt as though I was walking alongside the author, David Snowdon, and getting to know each and every nun. It was a privilege to share David's insight into this special community of women (many of whom live past the age of 100). When David finally decided to focus his research on Alzheimer's, he struggled with asking the nuns to sign a release form for their brains to be donated to Alzheimer research (after death). He was astonished when Sister Rita Schwalbe spoke up and said, "As sisters, we made the hard choice not to have children. Through brain donation, we can help unravel the mysteries of Alzheimer's disease and give the gift of life in a new way to future generations."
Although Alzheimers is still a mystery in many ways, this study helped illuminate several correlations. Depression and stroke puts a person at risk. High density ideas/complex sentences found in the nuns'handwritten autobiographies seemed to diminish risk. Faith and community, purposeful work and service, healthy eating, exercise all seemed to be positive factors in prevention.
Since 50% of persons over 90 years old will get Alzheimers, it is likely that many of our family/friends will be touched by this disease. Reading this book is not only a joy in getting insight into this wonderful community of nuns but also in highlighting the risk factors and research being done around the disease of Alzheimer's.
Dale C
http://daleblogg.blogspot.com ("Transition Aging Parents")
Alzheimer, 2008-02-15
My mother, grand mother and great grandmother have had Alzheimer. This book has helped me a lot to understand the sickness and given me good ideas of what to do with the rest of my life. Thanks
Not what I thought...., 2007-09-29
I really thought this would be a dry scientific book about results, showing graphs, etc, but it was not at all! The nuns told him he could only study them if he promised to get to know them, and he followed their wishes completely. I'm trying to make my sentences as long as possible and if you read the book, you'll know why and think I'm hopeless! The author has a wonderful way of weaving their lives into what he has discovered, as he leaves each little pause in the chapters with a sentence to make you want to read the next to see what they discovered about it. I learned a lot about what we have a little influence over in our own physical lives and what we might not. It's a very easy read. Oops! Short sentence. My bad!
Very Inspirational for young researchers, 2007-07-23
As a young geriatrist and researcher I found Dr Snowdon's scientific experience told in such a personal way very inspirational, puts into perpective and unwraps much of what aging and clinical research is about.
I found also amazing his ability to read details in each of the nuns lives named in the book to make conclusions related to how to become old in a "longer, healthier and more meaningful" way.
A "must read" book for everyone interested in gerontology...perhaps all of us: the aging people.
Great read for many reasons, 2007-01-23
Ordered for a class related to epidemiology and nursing. Turns out i would have loved it regardless. A scientist collects data from a unique nun population in search of data which leads him on a extensive journey related to Alzheimer's disease. Personal and subjective. Informative and endearing. Would and have recommended to many. Easy read.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 618
EAN: 9780553380927
ISBN: 0553380923
Label: Bantam
Manufacturer: Bantam
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2002-04-30
Publisher: Bantam
Release Date: 2002-04-30
Studio: Bantam |
