Refuse to be bowed by western society’s attitude to old age. It’s our responsibility to stand firm against ageism and be proud of who we are and what we have become. Stand tall!

Levy has developed an “ABC Method” that individuals can use to harness the power of their own positive age beliefs to improve their health. This approach consists of three stages: Your book is in fact a great work of “ tzedakah ”, or some combination of righteousness, giving, and charity, because you are helping people help themselves, which Maimonides taught was the highest form . Neuroplasticity continues as we age with the ability to stay flexible and sprout new neural connections. Some memories improve, for example Semantic Memory (recall of general knowledge). Some stay the same, for example Procedural Memory (such as how to ride a bike), and some decline, such as Episodic Memory (recall of a specific experience). Many life lessons are subtly infused along with the story that made it an absolute favourite read for me. Like for instance how majority of illness be it CVDs, hearing impairment or memory its root cause not age but rather the stereotypical mindset that comes with ageing. Dr Chibanda in Zimbabwe, who started The Friendship Bench where older ‘grandmothers’ can give comfort and advice to any villagers with problems. Nowadays there are hundreds of grandmothers sitting on park benches offering help to those who need consolation and wisdom. The movement has expanded to such places as Malawi, Botswana and Zanzibar. This would be a wonderful worldwide movement. ConclusionI lived with him in Florida during that period and spent many hours taking him to doctors of various types. And so I can personally attest to how right Becca Levy is about the demeaning attitude of many medical professionals. The dermatologist was particularly offensive, calling him "Old Fellow" rather than his name. His nurses would speak to a 90 year old man in the high-pitched voice you might use for a child or a dog. How I wish (with the sharp vision of hindsight) that I'd found another office where he wouldn't be disrespected.

Stunning revelations and powerful, scientifically-proven advice on how to live a healthy and vibrant long life from the world’s leading expert and pioneer in the field of ageing. Just changing the way you think about getting older can add 7.6 years to your life. While Levy’s research underscores the value of celebrating our advancing years as a time for creativity, exploration, and accomplishment, today’s reality is often quite different. All too frequently, personal views, cultural stereotypes, and institutional biases about aging are tilted in a negative direction. Age discrimination can limit access to work opportunities, housing and even health care – and that's not just a problem for older people. "We are all aging and we all have loved ones who are aging," Levy says. Levy has produced a manifesto to inspire us to fight against the scourge of ageism and its negative effects on older adults, and our society. The book is a call to action and provides practical and proven methods to help older adults develop more positive views of their lives, and to inspire all of us to stand up against ageism in our personal life, workplace, and social media. This book will be remembered as a turning point in the fight against ageism.” Over the past 20 years, Levy has conducted groundbreaking studies on different health conditions affected by attitudes toward aging. Her results show some surprising results:

This exciting new book gives all of us who are aging an opportunity to find ways to positively influence our destiny.Readers can use insights from this book to increase opportunities to shape a better and longer life. The eternal legacy of Maggie Kuhn, the founder of Gray Panthers and one of the most important and effective activists of the 20 th century is richly demonstrated in this book.” Breaking the Age Code is written by Dr Becca Levy, a professor of Epidemiology and an expert in the field of ageing, who writes in a warm and personable way. What does Breaking the Age Code Teach Us? Our Attitude Affects Our Own Health and Ability as we Age Your discussion of views toward the elderly in Japan and the deaf community are remarkably powerful. John Basinger who, at the age of 59 set himself the challenge of memorising the entire Paradise Lost by John Milton. This is a 60,000 word poem, equivalent to a full length novel. It took him 8 years, but at 80 he could still remember all of it. Dr. Levy is a pioneering psychologist and gerontologist Her wonderful book will inspire us with its solid scientific discoveries and practical advice for longevity. I believe Breaking the Age Code will greatly benefit the public!”

Breaking the Age Code is a landmark work, presenting not only easy-to-follow techniques for improving age beliefs so they can contribute to successful aging, but also a blueprint to reduce structural ageism for lasting change and an age-just society. In American society, old age is presented as something to be feared and avoided. Aging individuals are portrayed as fragile, forgetful, and a burden on society. The elderly are marginalized, ignored, and “put out to pasture.”

This book is downright amazing, giving me the chance to consider aging in a completely new light. I'm quite glad I started reading it, almost on a whim, if I recall, looking over newly released books. I was just interested enough to give it a try, perhaps due to being the right age that such matters as ageism are starting to perk my interest. But the topic of this book is very much an issue for people of all ages, I would have liked to have been more aware of these issues decades ago. In the Western world, ageing is seen as limiting and there’s often a dismissive attitude to the elderly. Youthfulness is exalted and older people are often dismissed. For example, if an older person is depressed it’s often brushed off as a natural part of ageing and not taken seriously by doctors. Some Nuggets from Breaking the Age Code