Consumer Critique: Age of Wisdom

I recently had the opportunity to review Age of Wisdom, a collection of advice compiled by Natalie Parker. She spent time as an intern at a Rehabilitation Hospital in Hawaii. "I was so appreciative of the advice and lessons I received from working with these senior adults," she says. Parker realized these seniors were an untapped resource and decided that the wisdom they had accumulated over their years could be as much of a help to other people in all walks of life as it had been to her. So she began a project to collect nuggets of wisdom. The result is a book that very nicely incorporates a variety of insights with photos that pair very well with the quotes.

This book would make a great gift for anyone - young or old - and serves as an excellent reminder of what's important. Not only are the statements very carefully chosen to display a variety of viewpoints, but it also made me think about what I really valued, and what I wanted to be able to pass down.

I had an opportunity to interview Natalie about the book:

1) How did you choose what nuggets of wisdom went into the book?
Compiling this book in my early twenties, the nuggets of wisdom that most resonated with me were ones on the topics of friendships and romantic relationships. I was also very appreciative of the letters that shared mottoes for personal happiness. I received over 300 cards and narrowed it down to ~35 quotes with the themes of relationships, God, nature, work and parenthood. It is my hope that the readers of Age of Wisdom will be enjoy or related many of the nuggets of wisdom at different time in their life.

2) Are the photos of the letter's authors?
The photos are not from the corresponding page authors. I decided that I wanted to find photos that mirrored what the letters spoke of or advised. I wanted to show the universality of the quotes rather than placing a specific face or setting.

3) Is there any letter that particularly touched your heart?
Often it was the short quotes, the ones that appeared most "obvious" that moved me, such as "be kind to yourself" or "enjoy the process".

4) What surprised you most about this project?
What surprised me most was the diversity found in the letters. I gave each senior a standard size postcard to contribute their advice and wisdom. A postcard only gives so much room for life advice or a story and I was very surprised at the variety of subject matter.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate this review.