"Be in control of your mind at all times and in control of your happiness, then you'll be a success."
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Regrets, They've Had a Few by Dan Hare Trafford Publishing
book review by Linda Murdock
This is but one of many bits of wisdom to be found in this survey of three hundred people over the age of sixty-five. Admittedly not a scientific approach, the author does manage to capture the thoughts and concerns, accomplishments and hardships of life from those born approximately between 1907 and 1942. The book gives readers a unique insight into people raised before education was a given and at a time when more people lived on farms than in cities. It also makes one aware of how many more choices women have today and the terrible impact of both alcohol and tobacco on the lives of those who grew up using both without caution.
As one reads through the working years, lifestyles, and marriage chapters, it is easy to assume that many of the comments would hold true for almost any generation. "There's no such thing as a mistake, only experience." However, no one born after 1942 understands what it was like to go through the Great Depression, and few understand the nature of being an immigrant or going through not one, but two world wars.
The book is well-organized with top ten lists that summarize the answers to the questions posed by the author. No doubt every reader will find a gem or two that will touch his or her heart. "Contentment means I'm not going after things I can't possibly have." Perhaps the most telling aspect of the author's work is the revelation that underneath the outside appearance of the elderly, there lie many very youthful spirits that should not be ignored.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review