From award-winning Washington Post columnist Steven Petrow, a guide to finding joy even during life’s most difficult timesAN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVERWe all know what it’s like to experience the disappointments and sorrows of life. Unexpected challenges like layoffs, divorce, illness, and the death of a loved one can leave us hurting and isolated. Add to that the unending anxiety we feel at the state of the world—political strife and global upheavals—and we end up with a recipe for . . . joy? Yes, says journalist Steven Petrow, who has lived through all of those things, and arrived at a surprising conclusion: Joy is always present—in our everyday routines, in ties to those we care about, even in our grief. It may be easier to see and feel it during the good times, but we can learn to find joy even in the darkest days. All we need is a road map—and now we have one.In The Joy You Make, Petrow explores the many expressions of joy and shows readers how to find, cultivate, and share it. He takes us on a journey from the darkness of the Arctic to a frenetic cancer ward in Manhattan, a trip that includes his parents’ deaths, the breakup of his marriage, and his sister’s cancer diagnosis. Combining his personal experiences with research and expert interviews, Petrow asks (and answers) the question: “What if there was a way to find the joy in everything?”Come join him on his search, and make it yours.

In Stupid Things I Won't Do When I'm Old, Petrow candidly addresses the fears, frustrations, and stereotypes that accompany aging. He offers a blueprint for the new old age, and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same. As he writes, 'I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder - to me - to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to 'old.'

For fans of David Sedaris and Nora Ephron, here is a humorous, irreverent, and poignant look at the gifts, stereotypes, and inevitable challenges of aging, based on the wildly popular New York Times essay from award-winning journalist Steven Petrow. Soon after his 50th birthday, Steven Petrow began assembling a list of “things I won’t do when I get old”—mostly a catalog of all the things he thought his then 70-something year old parents were doing wrong. That list, which included “You won’t have to shout at me that I’m deaf,” and “I won’t blame the family dog for my incontinence,” became the basis of this rousing collection of do’s and don’ts, wills and won’ts that is equal parts hilarious, honest, and practical. The fact is, we don’t want to age the way previous generations did. “Old people” hoard. They bore relatives—and strangers—with tales of their aches and pains. They insist on driving long after they’ve become a danger to others (and themselves). They eat dinner at 4pm. They swear they don’t need a cane or walker (and guess what happens next). They never, ever apologize. But there is another way . . . In Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old, Petrow candidly addresses the fears, frustrations, and stereotypes that accompany aging. He offers a blueprint for the new old age, and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same. As he writes, “I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder—to me—to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to ‘old.’” Getting older is a privilege. This essential guide reveals how to do it with grace, wisdom, humor, and hope. And without hoarding.

From award-winning Washington Post columnist Steven Petrow, a guide to finding joy even during life’s most difficult timesAN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVERWe all know what it’s like to experience the disappointments and sorrows of life. Unexpected challenges like layoffs, divorce, illness, and the death of a loved one can leave us hurting and isolated. Add to that the unending anxiety we feel at the state of the world—political strife and global upheavals—and we end up with a recipe for . . . joy? Yes, says journalist Steven Petrow, who has lived through all of those things, and arrived at a surprising conclusion: Joy is always present—in our everyday routines, in ties to those we care about, even in our grief. It may be easier to see and feel it during the good times, but we can learn to find joy even in the darkest days. All we need is a road map—and now we have one.In The Joy You Make, Petrow explores the many expressions of joy and shows readers how to find, cultivate, and share it. He takes us on a journey from the darkness of the Arctic to a frenetic cancer ward in Manhattan, a trip that includes his parents’ deaths, the breakup of his marriage, and his sister’s cancer diagnosis. Combining his personal experiences with research and expert interviews, Petrow asks (and answers) the question: “What if there was a way to find the joy in everything?”Come join him on his search, and make it yours.

In Stupid Things I Won't Do When I'm Old, Petrow candidly addresses the fears, frustrations, and stereotypes that accompany aging. He offers a blueprint for the new old age, and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same. As he writes, 'I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder - to me - to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to 'old.'

For fans of David Sedaris and Nora Ephron, here is a humorous, irreverent, and poignant look at the gifts, stereotypes, and inevitable challenges of aging, based on the wildly popular New York Times essay from award-winning journalist Steven Petrow. Soon after his 50th birthday, Steven Petrow began assembling a list of “things I won’t do when I get old”—mostly a catalog of all the things he thought his then 70-something year old parents were doing wrong. That list, which included “You won’t have to shout at me that I’m deaf,” and “I won’t blame the family dog for my incontinence,” became the basis of this rousing collection of do’s and don’ts, wills and won’ts that is equal parts hilarious, honest, and practical. The fact is, we don’t want to age the way previous generations did. “Old people” hoard. They bore relatives—and strangers—with tales of their aches and pains. They insist on driving long after they’ve become a danger to others (and themselves). They eat dinner at 4pm. They swear they don’t need a cane or walker (and guess what happens next). They never, ever apologize. But there is another way . . . In Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old, Petrow candidly addresses the fears, frustrations, and stereotypes that accompany aging. He offers a blueprint for the new old age, and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same. As he writes, “I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder—to me—to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to ‘old.’” Getting older is a privilege. This essential guide reveals how to do it with grace, wisdom, humor, and hope. And without hoarding.