The Fountain of Age

New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 1993. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Joyce Ravid (Author photograph). 25 cm. 671, [1] pages. Notes. Index. Minor DJ scuffing. Signed by the author on the title page. Large autographed sticker on front of DJ. Betty Friedan (February 4, 1921 - February 4, 2006) was an American feminist writer and activist. A leading figure in the women's movement in the United States, her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique is often credited with sparking the second wave of American feminism in the 20th century. In 1966, Friedan co-founded and was elected the first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), which aimed to bring women "into the mainstream of American society now [in] fully equal partnership with men." In 1970, after stepping down as NOW's first president, Friedan organized the nationwide Women's Strike for Equality on August 26, the 50th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granting women the right to vote. The national strike was successful beyond expectations in broadening the feminist movement; the march led by Friedan in New York City alone attracted over 50,000 people. In 1971, Friedan joined other leading feminists to establish the National Women's Political Caucus. Friedan was also a strong supporter of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution that passed the United States House of Representatives (by a vote of 354-24) and Senate (84-8) following intense pressure by women's groups led by NOW in the early 1970s. Following Congressional passage of the amendment, Friedan advocated for ratification of the amendment in the states and supported other women's rights reforms. The Fountain of Age suggests new possibilities for every one of us, all founded on a solid body of startling but little-known scientific evidence. It demolishes those myths that have constrained us for too long, and offers compelling alternatives for living one's age as a unique, exuberant time of life, on its own authentic terms. Derived from a Kirkus review: A book that explodes the myths of aging-just as, 30 years ago, Friedan exploded the mirage of the contented housewife. American women's lives changed forever with The Feminine Mystique-and this challenging exploration of aging may do the same for the skyrocketing population of men and women who have hit 60 and can anticipate 20 or 30 more years of living. The problem, Friedan says, is that although only about five percent of people over 65 are in nursing homes and fewer than ten percent ever will be, age is seen-by media, doctors, politicians, academics, even activists on behalf of the aging-as a ``problem,'' a ``plight,'' a time of rapidly decreasing physical and mental faculties. Older people buy into that picture, straining to stay youthful or removing themselves from active participation in society, often by retiring to ``leisure'' communities, whether or not leisure is what they crave. Friedan produces research studies and anecdotal evidence that the `Third Age' (after growing up and then generating a family and/or career) may be the age of true creativity-even of evolution. She examines the tragedies of productive lives cut short by early retirement; the new myths of menopause; early preparation for death; and anxious overprotectiveness by family, friends, professionals, and government. In fact, the many resourceful older men and women cited here have found ways not only to sustain rewarding lives but to grow intellectually, emotionally, and even physically. That America's youth-oriented culture puts its elders on a social ice floe at a time when wisdom, experience, and honed critical faculties are most needed indicates, suggests Friedan, a nation with its priorities sadly skewed. A far-sighted and far-reaching critique that may move the over-60s to reestablish the ``priorities of evolving life...and new visions for our stagnant society.''.