The invention of a beautiful old age

In a revised and expanded edition, The Invention of a Beautiful Old Age shows that it is possible to grow old with beauty, freedom and happiness.

Over thirty years of studying Brazilian women and men challenged Mirian Goldenberg to seek ways to create a "beautiful old age." This new edition, fully revised and updated, is the result of research conducted with over thirty nonagenarians since March 2015, all of them independent, healthy, cheerful, curious, and with many interests and projects. From those she studied—some of whom became friends—Mirian learned that old age is beautiful when one learns to savor this phase of life intensely, without trying to freeze their bodies, behaviors, and goals.

In each chapter of the book, the anthropologist develops the most important ideas for achieving a "beautiful old age": finding a life project, seeking the meaning of existence, valuing freedom, nurturing happiness, cultivating friendship, living intensely in the present, learning to say no, respecting one's own desires and truths, overcoming fears, and laughing a lot.

Mirian Goldenberg shows that "beautiful old age" isn't just a path for rich and powerful celebrities: anyone can learn to age more autonomously, with dignity, and with health. The ideas presented by the men and women interviewed in this book can help change how we view aging and spark reflection on everything that can be done to ensure Brazilians have the right to age and live with greater fulfillment, beauty, and happiness.

This book is dedicated to all those interested in building a life plan for a “beautiful old age”: the elderly of today and the elderly of tomorrow.

“ The invention of a beautiful old age invites us to reflect on the fact that old age is inevitable for all of us and that a fuller and happier aging is an achievement for each individual and for society as a whole.” - Renato Veras, physician and director of the Open University of the Third Age.