4 Inspirational New Books About Aging, Loving, Reinvention and Living Well

Bruce Feiler

When Feiler — best-selling author of The Secrets of Happy Families, The Council of Dads and other books — was diagnosed with cancer, in 2008, then nearly went bankrupt, he began to rethink his life. He spent two years on a nationwide quest looking for answers from others (perhaps he ran into Marlo and Phil?) who'd faced a crisis or other disruption that became a pivotal moment for change in their lives, or what he calls a “lifequake.” Among those he met and was inspired by were a truck driver who became a nurse and a Wall Street trader who began to write romances after big upheavals. Feiler, 55, uses their compelling stories to support his premise that life isn't linear but, rather, offers many paths and opportunities for reinvention.

You Look So Much Better in Person: True Stories of Absurdity and Success

Al Roker

Jovial Today show coanchor and Emmy Award winner Al Roker wants you to follow his lead by saying yes to everything in life. In his book, full of amusing stories from his 40 years in broadcasting, he is frank about his insecurities (“I’m terrible at socializing,” he admits) and the challenges he’s faced, including an emotional breakdown at work. He writes that such negative experiences have had a positive side: They’ve motived him toward self-improvement. Roker suggests that we’d all be happier if we looked at mishaps as opportunities and focused on the humor in everything, including our imperfections. (Available July 28)

Your Second Act: Inspiring Stories of Reinvention

Patricia Heaton

When Heaton, the star of Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, turned 60, she began to wonder if she was too old and unskilled to embark on a new chapter, but she proved herself wrong by reinventing herself as the lead in the CBS sitcom Carol’s Second Act — and by writing this book. Heaton, now 62, describes her own transformations over the years but focuses most on stories of ordinary people, who explain their second acts in their own words. Among them is a woman who in her 50s turned her passion for pie baking into a successful business. Heaton follows each tale with the lessons it teaches, and encourages readers to explore their own passions: “When you think about your own life, is there something that you’ve shelved or set aside because of other obligations or priorities?” There’s no time like today. (Read an excerpt here.)