Wise Talk: Wild Women

by Gwen Mazer, Christine Alicino, Christine Alicino Christine (PHT) Alicino Gwen Mazer

Book Overview

Women from diverse backgrounds and Ethnicities answer the question of what it means to be a woman in her sixties at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1885171870
• ISBN13: 9781885171870
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Council Oak Books
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.4" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Very good concept, presentation and scope....

I recently met Gwen Mazer at a book signing and was impressed with her work. It was a fascinating event mostly attended by women with many women over 60 and one very charismatic woman who was 99 and still going strong. I think this latter woman exemplifies the spirit this book is written as does the author. The concept of the book is simple, it looks at different women's perspectives on aging, life, love, etc. The author uses a very personal style with rich, thick descriptions and quotations to bring to life a very inside or subjective perspective on these issues. The individual chapters also cover a broad range of cultures, levels of achievement, fields of expertise, etc. I agree with Gwen that in many ways 60 is the new 40 for many people and attitudes towards aging across society are outdated. In fact, my understanding from the research on the aging brain is that how you expect to grow old is the number one determing factor in how the brain ages. If the 99 year old at the book signing event is any indication of human potential, then I think this may just right on target. What you will come away from after reading this book is a different attitude towards aging and what is possible. It not only looks at individuals, but when taken as a collection presents a new cultural pattern emerging among women. As a man, I see this in my practice and I believe it is gathering momentum. I find it a litarlly a disgrace how many seniors are treated in our society. I also understand this is correlated with life expectancy and how people age. If you are interested in references written for laypersons on the topic of brain aging try these: Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples and Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Well-Being,Making a Good Brain Great: The Amen Clinic Program for Achieving and Sustaining Optimal Mental Performance and The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain and Aging With Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives. Finally, this book is a work of art. There is excellent photography which captures the spirit of the person in each chapter, it's printed on good quality paper and the design is carefully thought out. If you are at all interested in this area, I recommend this book for it's "real life" and "in the bones" approach. Many similar books do not have the lively spirit of this one, the breadth or the depth.

Extraordinary!

Wise Talk, Wild Women changed my life and was exactly what I needed to help me move forward into the next phase of my being. At age 60 I found myself completely stuck. My mother's life was so totally different from mine and I had few female relatives whose wisdom about this stage of life I could draw upon. Wise Talk, Wild Women is extremely well written and the comments by all of the women are focused on exactly the aspects of life for which I needed insight. Although all of the women are quite different from one another, each story had several components that I could relate to and one or two paralleled my life so closely it was almost eerie. It is hard to say what was most significant but it occurred to me as I read the book that I had completely lost sight of my own accomplishments. Reading about these women's lives helped me get back in touch with what I have done thus far and how I will use that to focus on the future. I also felt a strong kinship with these women because all have either dedicated their lives to or are now focused on the greater good, something that I have done and continue to do. Wise Talk, Wild Women was truly inspiring.

Looking Forward to Sixty and Beyond

This book is elegant. The writing is both graceful and inspirational. As someone who is not yet sixty, it makes me feel as if this is a period of my life I can look forward to. Each woman profiled in this book has lead an exceptionally fulfilling life, because she relied on her intuition to guide her rather than conforming to her family's or society's expectations of her. The photographs in this book have the quality of portraits; they seem to capture the essence of each woman's character. I highly recommend it. Janet Rhodes Walnut Creek, CA

A wonderful journey with wise and wild women

This book is a beautifully presented gift of spirit. Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, granddaughters as well as the men in their lives will be inspired by the in-depth conversations that give candid insights into the joy, vision, and gifts of women throughout their path and arrival into maturity. Mazer's commentaries interwoven in each story give us an important additional perspective, and Alicino's photographs are alive with radiance and wisdom. Here is a celebration of life you will want to share with everyone on your list.

Wise, Wild, Wonderful Book

Read this book;savor like a box of chocolates, enjoying it a piece at a time,for these are well-lived lives recounted by intelligent women who are also beautifully photographed. If you are a guest this summer, this would be a thoughtful gift to your host or hostess.