Never Too Late

Book excerpt: Libraries are filled with volumes containing recipes for growing old gracefully. Most of them are based on mountains of research and statistics. Career correspondent and author Roy Rowan read many of these books, and found in them some good advice. Never Too Late is no such manual. It is simply one man’s views of the pleasures and potentials of old age based on a long life of adventure as a correspondent for the world’s leading magazines—and the lessons learned along the way from diverse groups of people, from the world’s most powerful leaders to some of the world’s most hapless individuals. Rowan interweaves quotes from experts in gerontology and other sage writers with his own experiences and insights. He addresses a spectrum of topics, including the subjectivity of the label “old,” the importance of optimism, and the fight to maintain independence as the years go by. He also encourages retirees to start a second career or activity, naming the Three E’s of Enthusiasm, Exertion, and Energy as the keys to pursuing a new passion.