Richard J. Leider is the founder of Inventure—The Purpose Company, whose mission is to help people unlock the power of purpose. Widely viewed as a pioneer of the global purpose movement, Leider has written or co-written eleven books, including three bestsellers, which have sold over one million copies. David A. Shapiro is a philosopher, educator, and writer whose work consistently explores matters of meaning, purpose, and equity in the lives of young people and adults. He is a tenured philosophy professor at Cascadia College, a community college in the Seattle area. Their new book, “Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?: The Path of Purposeful Aging” invites readers to navigate a purposeful path from adulthood to elderhood with choice, curiosity, and courage.

It is inevitable. Everyone is getting old, but not everyone grows whole while they are aging. A life well-lived contains purpose and fulfillment and while the authors do not profess to know everything, they are continuously learning and are sharing what they have learned along the way. In the Preface, they explain that this book is about “growing” old and their focus is on how to go about doing this. The topic came about when these two friends, who have known each other for years and have backgrounds in psychology and philosophy, started a conversation at a rained-out baseball game. Using inspiring stories, real-life practices, and thought provoking questions, they offer advice on how to live a purposeful life which leads to aging well. “Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?” is divided into nine chapters that addresses a question most people have had at one point or another. These chapters are One: Old, Who, Me? Two: If We All End Up Dying, What’s the Purpose of Living? Three: Aren’t I Somebody? Four: Am I Living the Good Life My Whole Life? Five: How Do I Stop Living a Default Life? Six: Am I Having a Late-Life Crisis? Seven: Will I Earn a Passing Grade in Life? Eight: How Can I Grow Whole as I Grow Old? Nine: How Will My Music Play On? It ends with an Afterword: Staying on the Path that encourages readers, once they finish the book, to re-read and study the chapters that had the most impact to them.

Everyone’s life is unique and we each have a different definition of what a purposeful life means. Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro share their views on “growing” old with the hopes of inspiring others to look within and find their own fulfillment to become an authentic person. It is an easy book to read and the chapters are divided so as to encourage readers to concentrate on whatever topic draws their attention. The language is down to earth and the tone is non-judgmental and supportive. Highlights include chapter Nine, which emphasizes the importance of having a reason to get out of bed because otherwise “we may as well just pull the covers over our head and stay there” and chapter Five that shares that the secret to ending default living is by “choosing to be your own person, on purpose, not by default.” All this advice may seem like common sense to most, but in the midst of life’s hectic pace, sometimes we need reminders along the way. This is what “Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?” accomplishes perfectly. It may not be for everyone, but for readers who are genuinely searching for a deeper meaning to life and appreciate advice from others who have been there, this is a highly recommended must-read book.

“We invite you to explore this path of purposeful aging, keeping in mind that for each of us, the path will be unique. Each of us is an experiment of one.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.