30 Lessons for Living

Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans

By: Karl Pillemer Ph.D.

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

More than 1,000 extraordinary Americans share their stories and the wisdom they have gained on living, loving, and finding happiness. After a chance encounter with an extraordinary 90-year-old woman, renowned gerontologist Karl Pillemer began to wonder what older people know about life that the rest of us don't. His quest led him to interview more than one thousand Americans over the age of 65 to seek their counsel on all the big issues- children, marriage, money, career, aging. Their moving stories and uncompromisingly honest answers often surprised him. And he found that he consistently heard advice that pointed to these thirty lessons for living. Here he weaves their personal recollections of difficulties overcome and lives well lived into a timeless book filled with the hard-won advice these older Americans wish someone had given them when they were young. Like This I Believe, StoryCorps's Listening Is an Act of Love, and Tuesdays with Morrie, 30 Lessons for Living is a book to keep and to give. Offering clear advice toward a more fulfilling life, it is as useful as it is inspiring.

©2011 Karl Pillemer Ph.D. (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"As he dispenses concrete, practical advice on how to make the most of our lives, Cornell gerontologist Pillemer turns for answers to our elders. Giving familiar advice a new spin by mining the rich resource of older Americans, Pillemer offers a refreshing, smart wakeup call about getting your priorities straight and living right." ( Publishers Weekly)

"The author skillfully weaves a prevailing theme (e.g., parenting, aging fearlessly) with self-disclosing statements from interviewees to create a compelling, inspirational book." ( Library Journal (starred))

Extremely insightful

All my life I've learned from others mistakes as best as I could. T
This book gives you wisdom and experience and how to prevent some of those mistakes

LOVE the narrator as well as the book ofc

I personally felt the narrator had a voice full of compassion, which fits the sentiment of the book, and I had the impression that the narrator read with the audience in mind - he read slow enough for me to take in the words but fast enough so there's flow. Thank you!

Loved this.

I wish my grandparents were still alive so I could have these conversations with them. Indeed some good guiding principles for life in here.

What Everyone Wished They Knew Before 50

If you could sum up 30 Lessons for Living in three words, what would they be?

Worth Sharing, Practical, and high-quality audiobook!

What other book might you compare 30 Lessons for Living to and why?

none, one of the firsts of its kind!

Have you listened to any of Sean Pratt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, sorry but I don't mind listening to his other stuff

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I'm just so grateful I came across this audiobook!

Any additional comments?

As a picky self-help listener, this is a buy and you won't return this audiobook!

No Need for Another Self-Improvement Book

After listening to this book, I feel this is the last self-help book I'll ever need to read. I'm so glad Dr. Pillermer did all the research he did and wrote this book for the benefit of mankind. Our elders, which we will all be one day, seem to be kept away in assisted living homes, and along with them, all of their wisdom. This book is a gem and I will return to it probably every year.