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WORK TITLE: The Second Fifty
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COUNTRY: United States
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PERSONAL
Has offspring.
EDUCATION:Holds a doctorate.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Gerontologist, economist, policy maker, and writer. U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, Washington, DC, former staff director; American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), chief public policy officer; public speaker.
WRITINGS
Author of policy e-books published by the Library of Congress’s Congressional Research Service (Washington, DC), including (with Patrick J. Purcell) Topics in Aging: Income and Poverty among Older Americans in 2004, 2005; Social Security: Proposed Changes to the Earnings Test, 2005; Social Security: Raising or Eliminating the Taxable Earnings Base, 2006; The Structure of Social Security Individual Account Contributions and Investments: Choices and Implications, 2006; (with Purcell) Topics in Aging: Income of Americans Age 65 and Older, 1969 to 2004, 2006; (with Purcell) Topics in Aging: Income and Poverty among Older Americans in 2005, 2006; (with Purcell) Retirement Savings: How Much Will Workers Have When They Retire?, 2007; and (with others) Options to Address Social Security Solvency and Their Impact on Beneficiaries: Results from the Dynasim Microsimulation Model, 2007.
Author of foreword to Let’s Talk about Aging Parents: A Real-Life Guide to Solving Problems with 27 Essential Conversations, by Laura Tamblyn Watts, Experiment (New York, NY), 2024.
SIDELIGHTS
[open new]Debra Whitman is an economist and aging expert who has written about policy for the U.S. Congress, has overseen policy for the AARP, and has written a nonfiction volume looking at the latter half of humans’ lives. In the mid-aughts Whitman wrote a number of policy papers for the Congressional Research Service, published electronically under the auspices of the Library of Congress, especially on the topics of social security and retirement finances. Through her work as staff director for the U.S. Senate’s committee on aging, Whitman strived to limit health-care costs, bolster retirement security, and increase transparency in the pharmaceutical industry.
Whitman’s debut book is The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond. Suggesting an idealized lifespan of one hundred years, Whitman frames the half century remaining after the first half century as “the second fifty,” foregrounding an optimism about sustaining a long life. The book’s seven main chapters are centered on big questions surrounding longevity; health in decline; memory and dementia; reaching retirement; saving enough money; living situations; and dealing with death. As Whitman explains, Social Security funding will not run dry anytime soon, but the program is not designed to be retired persons’ sole support, making savings crucial. Yet many poor people’s situations prevent them from accruing savings and leave them obliged to lean on government programs to get the support they need through their elder years. Palliative and hospice care services are often underfunded and bogged down in bureaucracy. Whitman takes stock of social inequalities in detailing discrepancies between the races in terms of wealth, health, and available support. The book’s eighth and final chapter looks toward the achievement of “a better second fifty.”
A Kirkus Reviews writer was led to remark that “getting old is not for the faint of heart, but this lucid guide … will help many readers along the path.” A contributor to Mosaic Movie Connect Group hailed the book as “compelling and comprehensive.” The contributor praised Whitman’s prose style as “engaging and relatable, blending personal stories from across the country with groundbreaking research and policy insights,” and reckoned the book “both informative and actionable.” The Kirkus Reviews writer affirmed that “valuable advice” and “sensible but sober” conclusions help make The Second Fifty an “essential reference on dealing with aging.”[close new]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2024, review of The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond.
ONLINE
Mosaic Movie Connect Group, https://mosaicmovieconnectgroup.blogspot.com/ (August 17, 2024), review of The Second Fifty.
Debra Whitman is the author of "The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond." She is an economist and expert on aging issues with an extensive background in policymaking and research.
As Chief Public Policy Officer for AARP, Debra leads global policy and research to help communities, lawmakers, and the private sector improve our lives as we age.
Previously, as staff director for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, Debra worked across the aisle to increase retirement security, lower health care costs, protect vulnerable seniors, make the pharmaceutical industry more transparent, and improve our long-term care system.
Debra is a writer and public speaker, mom, and an advocate for those whose voices need to be heard.
Whitman, Debra THE SECOND FIFTY Norton (NonFiction None) $29.99 9, 10 ISBN: 9780393867657
Valuable advice about the second half of life.
Getting old is not for the faint of heart, but this lucid guide by Whitman, chief public policy officer for the AARP, will help many readers along the path. Of course, physical and mental health is likely readers' leading worry, so the author starts there. According to a recent Harvard study, women live an extra 14 years, and men 12, if they adhered to "five healthy habits--a good diet, exercise, a healthy body weight, no smoking, and very limited alcohol intake." As the author notes, dementia is now more feared than cancer. Following her recommended habits reduces the risk modestly, but it's best to start young. Whitman's discussions on paying for old age and managing dying are frighteningly illuminating. American retirement rests on three systems: pensions, Social Security, and savings. Pensions are nearly nonexistent in today's business world; Social Security will continue (that it will go bankrupt is a myth), but it cannot serve as someone's sole source of income. Savings are essential, but poor people are not able to save adequately, and poverty rates have been rising since the 1980s. Almost everyone wants to die at home, but the work involved is grueling and expensive. Although enormously helpful, hospice and palliative care services are underfunded and enmeshed in bureaucracy; furthermore, doctors are often slow to get involved. Whitman's concluding summary is sensible but sober. Most readers are aware that poverty levels, income disparities, and lack of social service support place the U.S. in a precarious position, and no big changes are in the works. Straining to find good news, the author describes state programs to assist the elderly and imaginative "grassroots innovation" that may or may not catch on. Alas, no one expects action from Washington, D.C.
An unedifying yet essential reference on dealing with aging.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
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"Whitman, Debra: THE SECOND FIFTY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A802865229/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d25f7398. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
Saturday, August 17, 2024
Book Review: The Second Fifty
Title: The Second Fifty
Author: Debra Whitman
Publisher: W.W. Norton and Company
Publication Date: September 10, 2024
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Debra Whitman's "The Second Fifty" offers a compelling and comprehensive guide to navigating life after 50, drawing from her experience as AARP's chief public policy officer and former staff director for the Senate Special Committee on Aging. The book addresses eight crucial questions about longevity, health, work, finances, housing, and end-of-life considerations. This organization allows readers to easily focus on areas most relevant to their current situation, making the book both accessible and practical.
What sets "The Second Fifty" apart from other retirement-focused books is its holistic approach. While many similar works primarily emphasize financial planning, Whitman broadens the scope to include often overlooked aspects such as housing choices, work considerations, and death preparation. This comprehensive view provides readers with a more complete picture of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Whitman's writing style is engaging and relatable, blending personal stories from across the country with groundbreaking research and policy insights. This combination of anecdotal evidence and hard data creates a well-rounded exploration of each topic. The author not only identifies challenges but also offers practical advice and potential solutions, making this book both informative and actionable.
One of the book's strengths is its focus on societal inequalities, highlighting key disparities between white and Black/Hispanic populations, as well as between rich and poor. This attention to social issues adds depth to the discussion and emphasizes the need for broader societal changes to support an aging population.
For readers approaching retirement or already in their later years, "The Second Fifty" serves as an invaluable resource. It prompts important self-reflection and planning, while also advocating for community and policy changes that could benefit all in their later years.
A big thank you to WW Norton and Company and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.