Overview

"""Stimulating and inspiring. . . ."" -Dr. Jane Goodall,founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace Journalist William J. Kole, reluctant but newly minted member of AARP, explores the looming era of super-aging-incredibly longer lifespans overall, and eight times more centenarians by the year 2050-through the lens of past, present, and future life at ages 50, 65, 80, and on to 100-plus. What happens to all of us when 65 is merely a life half-lived? By 2050, the world's centenarian population-those aged 100 or more-will increase eightfold. Half of today's 5-year-olds can expect to reach the same heights. It's going to upend everything we thought we knew about health care, personal finance, retirement, politics, and more. Whether we're 18 or 81, this tectonic demographic shift will affect us all. The Big 100 confronts readers with both the brightness and potential bleakness of a fate few of us thought possible. Journalist William Kole guides us on this journey into our future, an optimistic but sometimes fraught exploration of super-aging as the grandson of a centenarian. Along the way, there are expert sources, like Dr. Jane Goodall, longevity expert Dr. Thomas Perls, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and even 101-year-old influencer and fashionista Iris Apfel; along with surprises, including the truth about those so-called ""Blue Zones"" everyone thinks are centenarian factories. (Spoiler alert: They're not.) And there's the troubling truth that those reaching extreme longevity tend to be overwhelmingly white, a product of what experts deem the ""weathering theory"": the idea that the health of African Americans begins to deteriorate in early adulthood as a physical consequence of socio-economic disadvantages. How long can we live? How longshouldwe live? And what happens when 65 is merely a life half-lived?The Big 100explores the most pressing questions of our super-aging future, and offers a glimpse of a reality that awaits us, our children, and our grandchildren."

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9781635768565

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Reviews

"""The vast baby-boomer cohort is moving into its sunset years. In 2034, the U.S. will have more people over 65 than under 17...[and] half of today's American 5-year-olds can expect to reach age 100. So The Big 100 comes not a moment too soon. William J. Kole...explores various aspects of the graying of America....address[ing] 'what we must do now to ensure our longer lives will truly be worth living.'"" —Wall Street Journal “More and more people are living for 100 years—or longer. William J. Kole uses his knowledge and personal experiences to suggest how we can use these bonus years to best advantage, for ourselves and others. With beautiful prose and a sense of fun, The Big 100 is stimulating and inspiring. You should definitely read it."" —Dr. Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace ""The Big 100 is an entertaining challenge to all of us to rethink the second half of our lives. Provocative and fun."" —Dr. John Beard, director, International Longevity Center “William J. Kole is more than a brilliant journalist and dazzling storyteller. He is a time traveler. Kole is our guide to a coming world of super-longevity and what it means for health systems, policy makers and the very fabric of families and communities. The Big 100 is our future. There is no more compelling story.” —Brian Murphy, author of 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness “With rapidly aging populations across the world and longer lives ahead, William J. Kole’s The Big 100 could not have come at a more important time. It’s a compelling call to action for everyone interested in the challenges and opportunities of our great demographic shift and the potential for longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.” —Paul Irving, founding chair of the Milken Institute's Center for the Future of Aging and distinguished scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology   “Optimizing human longevity was arguably the greatest achievement of the last century, thanks in great part to the successes of public health. Enabling healthy longevity and the assets that older people contribute to the world will be our all-of-society challenge for the current generation. William J. Kole’s book gives us a basis for envisioning the society we want to design for all of our longer lives as we each approach the big 100.” —Dr. Linda P. Fried, dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center   “Do I want to live to 100? I don’t know. But I do know that in The Big 100, journalist William J. Kole makes me think about it with a newfound appreciation for the science of aging. I had never truly considered the enormous societal cost of people living longer until The Big 100. Centenarians are the fastest-growing segment of our population, and Kole forces us to ask if we are ready for that tectonic demographic shift. Kole provides valuable perspective around the science of aging, the impact on society as people reach that milestone, and some heartwarming personal touches.”   —Doug Most, bestselling author of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway “None of us knows whether we’ll make it to ‘The Big 100,’ but regardless of age, all of us should make sure we have a copy of William J. Kole’s book on our shelf! In a readable style and an easy voice, Kole uses hard data and personal stories to explore everything important about the aging journey—finances, health, work, diet, dignity, laughter, and love. The Big 100 tells the most human story in the most human terms.” —Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide, The Caning, and Voyage of Mercy “The Big 100 points the way to a great long life without minimizing pain or the emotional weight of mortality. Using the latest scientific evidence for optimism and telling inspiring, sometimes amusing, stories of people as old as a hundred and more, William J. Kole shows how you can find joy in life right up to your last days on earth.” —Francine Russo, bestselling author of Love After Fifty: How to Find It, Enjoy It, and Keep It “Many people say they want to live to be a hundred, but beyond pension plans and good insurance, there's not really much of a road map for getting the most from that incredible milestone. William J. Kole's cogent exploration of ‘super-agers’ is a blueprint for living your best life long after most people are preparing to check out. I'm truly energized about my golden years in ways I wouldn't have thought possible.” —Rachel Jones, National Press Foundation “Deeply researched and reported, written in brisk, sharp prose, William J. Kole's probing exploration of the implications of longevity and an ever-expanding lifespan is a compelling and vital read. It's a timely and fascinating analysis of the cultural, economic, racial, medical, philosophical, societal and political upsides and downsides of the coming global surge in the number of centenarians. It's also great storytelling and a provocative look ahead at what the future of aging means for us all.” —Neal Thompson, author of The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty and A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert 'Believe It or Not' Ripley"

"""In his debut book, award-winning journalist Kole, a former foreign correspondent, points to this historical era, in which more and more people are reaching the age of 100 and beyond. Kole is known for telling the world about the longest-living person, France's Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 after living 122 years and 164 days. In this book, he expertly examines the concept of what he calls ""super-aging"" and how it impacts people, including children and grandchildren, as his statistics show that the United States' population of people older than 65 will soon outnumber people who are 17 and younger. Kole doesn't just focus on age; he delves into such topics as loneliness too. For example, his research reveals that most older people think loneliness is just a part of aging or something they are forced into by social and workplace discrimination. But the book acknowledges that loneliness can lead to isolation and feelings of uselessness, which can cause one's mental and physical health to deteriorate. The conditions of Alzheimer's disease and dementia can also be contributing factors. Kole also doesn't shy away from discussing why it's white people who appear to be living the longest. VERDICT: A brilliant study on aging that's destined to become a classic."" —Library Journal (Starred Review) ""The vast baby-boomer cohort is moving into its sunset years. In 2034, the U.S. will have more people over 65 than under 17...[and] half of today's American 5-year-olds can expect to reach age 100. So The Big 100 comes not a moment too soon. William J. Kole...explores various aspects of the graying of America....address[ing] 'what we must do now to ensure our longer lives will truly be worth living.'"" —Wall Street Journal “More and more people are living for 100 years—or longer. William J. Kole uses his knowledge and personal experiences to suggest how we can use these bonus years to best advantage, for ourselves and others. With beautiful prose and a sense of fun, The Big 100 is stimulating and inspiring. You should definitely read it."" —Dr. Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace ""The Big 100 is an entertaining challenge to all of us to rethink the second half of our lives. Provocative and fun."" —Dr. John Beard, director, International Longevity Center “William J. Kole is more than a brilliant journalist and dazzling storyteller. He is a time traveler. Kole is our guide to a coming world of super-longevity and what it means for health systems, policy makers and the very fabric of families and communities. The Big 100 is our future. There is no more compelling story.” —Brian Murphy, author of 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness “With rapidly aging populations across the world and longer lives ahead, William J. Kole’s The Big 100 could not have come at a more important time. It’s a compelling call to action for everyone interested in the challenges and opportunities of our great demographic shift and the potential for longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.” —Paul Irving, founding chair of the Milken Institute's Center for the Future of Aging and distinguished scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology   “Optimizing human longevity was arguably the greatest achievement of the last century, thanks in great part to the successes of public health. Enabling healthy longevity and the assets that older people contribute to the world will be our all-of-society challenge for the current generation. William J. Kole’s book gives us a basis for envisioning the society we want to design for all of our longer lives as we each approach the big 100.” —Dr. Linda P. Fried, dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center   “Do I want to live to 100? I don’t know. But I do know that in The Big 100, journalist William J. Kole makes me think about it with a newfound appreciation for the science of aging. I had never truly considered the enormous societal cost of people living longer until The Big 100. Centenarians are the fastest-growing segment of our population, and Kole forces us to ask if we are ready for that tectonic demographic shift. Kole provides valuable perspective around the science of aging, the impact on society as people reach that milestone, and some heartwarming personal touches.”  —Doug Most, bestselling author of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway “None of us knows whether we’ll make it to ‘The Big 100,’ but regardless of age, all of us should make sure we have a copy of William J. Kole’s book on our shelf! In a readable style and an easy voice, Kole uses hard data and personal stories to explore everything important about the aging journey—finances, health, work, diet, dignity, laughter, and love. The Big 100 tells the most human story in the most human terms.” —Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide, The Caning, and Voyage of Mercy “The Big 100 points the way to a great long life without minimizing pain or the emotional weight of mortality. Using the latest scientific evidence for optimism and telling inspiring, sometimes amusing, stories of people as old as a hundred and more, William J. Kole shows how you can find joy in life right up to your last days on earth.” —Francine Russo, bestselling author of Love After Fifty: How to Find It, Enjoy It, and Keep It “Many people say they want to live to be a hundred, but beyond pension plans and good insurance, there's not really much of a road map for getting the most from that incredible milestone. William J. Kole's cogent exploration of ‘super-agers’ is a blueprint for living your best life long after most people are preparing to check out. I'm truly energized about my golden years in ways I wouldn't have thought possible.” —Rachel Jones, National Press Foundation “Deeply researched and reported, written in brisk, sharp prose, William J. Kole's probing exploration of the implications of longevity and an ever-expanding lifespan is a compelling and vital read. It's a timely and fascinating analysis of the cultural, economic, racial, medical, philosophical, societal and political upsides and downsides of the coming global surge in the number of centenarians. It's also great storytelling and a provocative look ahead at what the future of aging means for us all.” —Neal Thompson, author of The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty and A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert 'Believe It or Not' Ripley"

The Big 100 is an entertaining challenge to all of us to rethink the second half of our lives. Provocative and fun. -Dr. John Beard, director, International Longevity Center William J. Kole is more than a brilliant journalist and dazzling storyteller. He is a time traveler. Kole is our guide to a coming world of super-longevity and what it means for health systems, policy makers, and the very fabric of families and communities. The Big 100 is our future. There is no more compelling story. -Brian Murphy, author of 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness With rapidly aging populations across the world and longer lives ahead, William J. Kole's The Big 100 could not have come at a more important time. It's a compelling call to action for everyone interested in the challenges and opportunities of our great demographic shift and the potential for longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. -Paul Irving, founding chair of the Milken Institute's Center for the Future of Aging and distinguished scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology

"""The Big 100 is an entertaining challenge to all of us to rethink the second half of our lives. Provocative and fun.""—Dr. John Beard, director, International Longevity Center “William J. Kole is more than a brilliant journalist and dazzling storyteller. He is a time traveler. Kole is our guide to a coming world of super-longevity and what it means for health systems, policy makers and the very fabric of families and communities. The Big 100 is our future. There is no more compelling story.” —Brian Murphy, author of 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness “With rapidly aging populations across the world and longer lives ahead, William J. Kole’s The Big 100 could not have come at a more important time. It’s a compelling call to action for everyone interested in the challenges and opportunities of our great demographic shift and the potential for longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.” —Paul Irving, founding chair of the Milken Institute's Center for the Future of Aging and distinguished scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology   “Optimizing human longevity was arguably the greatest achievement of the last century, thanks in great part to the successes of public health. Enabling healthy longevity and the assets that older people contribute to the world will be our all-of-society challenge for the current generation. William J. Kole’s book gives us a basis for envisioning the society we want to design for all of our longer lives as we each approach the big 100.” —Dr. Linda P. Fried, dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center   “Do I want to live to 100? I don’t know. But I do know that in The Big 100, journalist William J. Kole makes me think about it with a newfound appreciation for the science of aging. I had never truly considered the enormous societal cost of people living longer until The Big 100. Centenarians are the fastest-growing segment of our population, and Kole forces us to ask if we are ready for that tectonic demographic shift. Kole provides valuable perspective around the science of aging, the impact on society as people reach that milestone, and some heartwarming personal touches.”   —Doug Most, bestselling author of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway “None of us knows whether we’ll make it to ‘The Big 100,’ but regardless of age, all of us should make sure we have a copy of William J. Kole’s book on our shelf! In a readable style and an easy voice, Kole uses hard data and personal stories to explore everything important about the aging journey—finances, health, work, diet, dignity, laughter, and love. The Big 100 tells the most human story in the most human terms.” —Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide, The Caning, and Voyage of Mercy “The Big 100 points the way to a great long life without minimizing pain or the emotional weight of mortality. Using the latest scientific evidence for optimism and telling inspiring, sometimes amusing, stories of people as old as a hundred and more, William J. Kole shows how you can find joy in life right up to your last days on earth.” —Francine Russo, bestselling author of Love After Fifty: How to Find It, Enjoy It, and Keep It “Many people say they want to live to be a hundred, but beyond pension plans and good insurance, there's not really much of a road map for getting the most from that incredible milestone. William J. Kole's cogent exploration of ‘super-agers’ is a blueprint for living your best life long after most people are preparing to check out. I'm truly energized about my golden years in ways I wouldn't have thought possible.” —Rachel Jones, National Press Foundation “Deeply researched and reported, written in brisk, sharp prose, William J. Kole's probing exploration of the implications of longevity and an ever-expanding lifespan is a compelling and vital read. It's a timely and fascinating analysis of the cultural, economic, racial, medical, philosophical, societal and political upsides and downsides of the coming global surge in the number of centenarians. It's also great storytelling and a provocative look ahead at what the future of aging means for us all.” —Neal Thompson, author of The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty and A Curious Man: The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert 'Believe It or Not' Ripley"

"""The Big 100 is an entertaining challenge to all of us to rethink the second half of our lives. Provocative and fun.""—Dr. John Beard, director, International Longevity Center “William J. Kole is more than a brilliant journalist and dazzling storyteller. He is a time traveler. Kole is our guide to a coming world of super-longevity and what it means for health systems, policy makers and the very fabric of families and communities. The Big 100 is our future. There is no more compelling story.” —Brian Murphy, author of 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness “With rapidly aging populations across the world and longer lives ahead, William J. Kole’s The Big 100 could not have come at a more important time. It’s a compelling call to action for everyone interested in the challenges and opportunities of our great demographic shift and the potential for longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.” —Paul Irving, founding chair of the Milken Institute's Center for the Future of Aging and distinguished scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California's Leonard Davis School of Gerontology   “Optimizing human longevity was arguably the greatest achievement of the last century, thanks in great part to the successes of public health. Enabling healthy longevity and the assets that older people contribute to the world will be our all-of-society challenge for the current generation. William J. Kole’s book gives us a basis for envisioning the society we want to design for all of our longer lives as we each approach the big 100.” —Dr. Linda P. Fried, dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center   “Do I want to live to 100? I don’t know. But I do know that in The Big 100, journalist William J. Kole makes me think about it with a newfound appreciation for the science of aging. I had never truly considered the enormous societal cost of people living longer until The Big 100. Centenarians are the fastest-growing segment of our population, and Kole forces us to ask if we are ready for that tectonic demographic shift. Kole provides valuable perspective around the science of aging, the impact on society as people reach that milestone, and some heartwarming personal touches.”   —Doug Most, bestselling author of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway “None of us knows whether we’ll make it to ‘The Big 100,’ but regardless of age, all of us should make sure we have a copy of William J. Kole’s book on our shelf! In a readable style and an easy voice, Kole uses hard data and personal stories to explore everything important about the aging journey—finances, health, work, diet, dignity, laughter, and love. The Big 100 tells the most human story in the most human terms.” —Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide, The Caning, and Voyage of Mercy “The Big 100 points the way to a great long life without minimizing pain or the emotional weight of mortality. Using the latest scientific evidence for optimism and telling inspiring, sometimes amusing, stories of people as old as a hundred and more, William J. Kole shows how you can find joy in life right up to your last days on earth.” —Francine Russo, bestselling author of Love After Fifty: How to Find It, Enjoy It, and Keep It"

Author Information

William J. Kole, recently retired as the New England news editor for Associated Press, is a veteran journalist and former foreign correspondent who has reported from North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The grandson of a woman who lived a few months shy of 104, Kole has been writing about extreme longevity since the 1990s, when he was based in Paris and told the world the extraordinary story of Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122. His many awards include one from the Society of American Business Editors & Writers for an investigation into the exploitation of undocumented immigrants by the Walmart retail chain. This is his first book. He speaks French, Dutch, and German, and resides in Warwick, Rhode Island.

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