Peter Schroeder’s New Book
THE OCTOGENARIAN HANDBOOK
Delaying the 5 Ways of Dying
(and there are only 5 ways to die)
No mid-life adult wants to be an Octogenarian. But—if they think of the alternative—they all want one day to become one. As people approach their senior years, that hope strengthens as they realize only 5% to 15% of their life remains—if they’re lucky.
In my new book I describe how to steer your life towards longevity. I show there are only five ways to die—no alternatives—and one of these ways has your name on it. Ironically, each of these ways of dying is described by a single word beginning with the letter “A”: easy to remember, hard to forget. As it explores the journey of how to age with grace and wisdom, the book, written in a gentle and factual tone, provides a practical understanding of the inevitable final outcome without being morose.
As they approach their senior years beginning in their 60s, men and women need to make major changes in the way they handled routine daily issues in their early adult years. Lifestyles that once worked become not only detrimental, but also hazardous in these later years. They must also avoid the many pitfalls that lead to each of the five ways to die.
Two motivations prompted me to write this book. First, I was diagnosed at age 40 with a bone marrow cancer, Multiple Myeloma, said to be terminal, and given a two-year prognosis. Western medicine said I could be treated but not cured of this fatal disease. In looking for alternative medical systems, I traveled to an ashram in India with my family and live three years where two Ayurvedic healers helped me plan, as they said, a “serene and beautiful death.” Meanwhile, to my doctors’ amazement, the disease went into temporary remission. But they continue to point out even to this day, that I should be prepared for their original prognosis
The second motivation for writing the book originated from my decades as Secretary of my graduate business school class reporting on the deaths of my classmates. Over the years I have written more than 70 obituaries. In researching their memorials, I observed that every death fit into one of my five categories. I also realized that my colleagues made numerous questionable decisions that led to their early demise, points that I emphasize in the book.
During these years, as I contemplated my end-of-life, I narrowed the ways of dying down to only five. I believe that I owe my re-claimed active life for the last four decades to these experiences, which I share with the reader. I give readers a practical understanding of them and analyze how people, as they age, might be able to influence their own personal passing.
Available at Amezon.com.
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