Scan barcode
marleefayek's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.75
A great read and highly informative about ageism and older adult theory without feeling like a dense non fiction book. Applewhite is funny, real, and makes the information easily accessible.
cyranoreads's review against another edition
3.0
3+ stars. It's lively written and well-researched, with a lot of thoughtful ideas - 4 stars for that. But it's marred by its progressivist, social-justice tone and mistaken notions about capitalism (and I disagree with Ashton that ageism should be made a political issue). Ashton is cool, though, and I'd like to hang out with her sometime.
nicolesullivan98's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
suetrav's review against another edition
2.0
I heard the author on a podcast recently (We Can Do Hard Things – Glennon Doyle) and was intrigued by her. Ageism is alive and well in my workplace so I thought the would be a good read. I agree that ageism is a problem, but can it really be grouped with some of the other “isms” like racism and say the implications are the same? The author seems to imply that all the “isms” are equally bad, and I could not get on board with that. You know any old people that were enslaved for generations? How about old people that were lynched? Her husband going up to a bouncer at a club and saying that being called grandpa is the same as being called the “N” word literally made me shake my head. Really??
I do agree that there should be inter-generational relationships and that age should not define what activities you participate in. I am one of the “olders” at rock concerts that are meant for much younger people and I love it so I keep going even though I get some looks for sure. And of course approaching the senior years the more active and engaged you are the better off you will do.
Yes, ageism is an issue and I definitely am ageist even though I am an “older” lol. I did learn a few things that I can do better to combat this.
I do agree that there should be inter-generational relationships and that age should not define what activities you participate in. I am one of the “olders” at rock concerts that are meant for much younger people and I love it so I keep going even though I get some looks for sure. And of course approaching the senior years the more active and engaged you are the better off you will do.
Yes, ageism is an issue and I definitely am ageist even though I am an “older” lol. I did learn a few things that I can do better to combat this.
_cherish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
rhianner's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
Applewhite has a poor grasp of intersectionality, lukewarm takes, and a lot of unchecked bias.
She is notably racist at multiple parts. In the first chapter when she says that "when folks get older and experience discrimination, they realize what it must be like to be Black," obviously revealing she did not expect Black people to read this book. In the seventh chapter, she describes an incident when her husband told a bouncer who had called him "grandpa" that it would be the same as if he called the bouncer the n-word. No, no it would not. Grandpa is not a slur based in centuries of enslavement, disenfranchisement and oppression.
Applewhite reveals her fatphobia in the chapter on health in which she recommends that people "control their eating" as they get older, which is a line steeped in diet culture.
In addressing the overlap between ageism and ableism, Applewhite is all-over-the-place, self-contradictory and hypocritical.
She fails to critique the ways women are punished for aging through the lens of beauty as commodity within capitalism, making all her takes on this extremely lukewarm and altogether useless.
Overall, Applewhite doesn’t take many of her critiques of “ageism” far enough, doesn’t take the time to explore the underlying socio political agendas that have produced ageism, and consistently ostracizes any members of her audience who aren’t older upper-class white ladies. This book is only radical for folks who have their heads buried in their privilege. It honestly made me angry. Would not recommend.
She is notably racist at multiple parts. In the first chapter when she says that "when folks get older and experience discrimination, they realize what it must be like to be Black," obviously revealing she did not expect Black people to read this book. In the seventh chapter, she describes an incident when her husband told a bouncer who had called him "grandpa" that it would be the same as if he called the bouncer the n-word. No, no it would not. Grandpa is not a slur based in centuries of enslavement, disenfranchisement and oppression.
Applewhite reveals her fatphobia in the chapter on health in which she recommends that people "control their eating" as they get older, which is a line steeped in diet culture.
In addressing the overlap between ageism and ableism, Applewhite is all-over-the-place, self-contradictory and hypocritical.
She fails to critique the ways women are punished for aging through the lens of beauty as commodity within capitalism, making all her takes on this extremely lukewarm and altogether useless.
Overall, Applewhite doesn’t take many of her critiques of “ageism” far enough, doesn’t take the time to explore the underlying socio political agendas that have produced ageism, and consistently ostracizes any members of her audience who aren’t older upper-class white ladies. This book is only radical for folks who have their heads buried in their privilege. It honestly made me angry. Would not recommend.
shayneh's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of food for thought. Outside my normal scope of reading, but thoughtful and wide-ranging.