50+
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Boomers aren't finished yet
REVIEW BY ANGELA LEEPER To AARP CEO Bill Novelli, the plus sign in his new book, 50+: Igniting a Revolution to Reinvent America, represents not only the second half of life, but also the process of rethinking how to spend it. Although a baby boomer turns 50 every 7.5 seconds and two-thirds of all people who ever reached age 65 are still alive today, Novelli believes that society has not kept up with this huge demographic shift. His inspirational yet down-to-earth book is a call to action for social change so that boomers and generations to come will enjoy both increased longevity and quality of life. Novelli devotes each chapter to an "opportunity," or area of change. These opportunities include transforming health care, reinventing retirement, revolutionizing the workplace, building livable communities, changing the marketplace, advocating for a cause and leaving a legacy. In each section, Novelli gives a brief history of the topic and real-life examples. According to Novelli, boomers and their elders control approximately 70 percent of the country's wealth, which means that marketers, employers and politicians should find opportunities along with them. He dispels numerous myths—individuals completely stop working once they retire, older consumers are reluctant to part with their money—while giving examples of companies at the forefront of hiring mature employees and the benefits they've reaped. 50+ suggests that the best legacy boomers can leave the nation is changing the way society thinks about aging. Angela Leeper is an educational consultant and writer in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
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