Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty True Things You Need To Know Now

Synopsis

Psychiatrist Dr. Gordon Livingston, who began his medical career serving as a physician in the Vietnam War, has spent the past thirty years "listening to other people's most intimate secrets and troubles." He has also endured his own fair share of loss and sorrow-losing two of his sons, one to leukemia, another to suicide. Over many years, Livingston has come to recognize 30 truths that we all need to learn before it's too late. Some of these truths are that we are what we do; any relationship is under the control of the person who cares the least; control is a popular illusion; forgiveness is a form of letting go, the statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood traumas. With clear-headed, beautifully crafted prose, Livingston deploys his acutely sensitive heart and brilliant mind, underscoring the commonalities that course through every individual human life. For everyone who feels a sense of urgency about improving his or her life and is looking for wise advice on how to comprehend and navigate an increasingly complex, unsettled world, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart will elicit laughter, tears, and a newly focused appreciation for the precious and perilous gift of life.