The Big Five-Oh! : Facing, Fearing, And Fighting Fifty
- Book Review,
by William Geist
From Library Journal
The chief impression left in one's mind by this collection of 51 essays by the regular commentator for the CBS Evening News and CBS's Sunday Morning is that, if one can, one should avoid ever turning 50. All manner of calamities and perturbations beset the unwary and unsuspecting male?crow's feet, erectile dysfunction, adult diapers, whether to wear one's belt over or under the gut, turning Republican, and, of course, being AARP'd. Safe sex means keeping oxygen tanks and nitroglycerin pills close by one's bed. And for women, according to the author's wife, the big five-o means mammograms, eyebags, estrogen therapy, and flash management. Geist dons the jester's cap with the deliberate intent of bringing forth smiles, laughter, and howls, and frequently he succeeds; but one is aware now and then of the grinding of mental wheels. The book contains a number of clinkers, but fortunately there are more than enough nuggets to keep the reader pushing onward. For larger humor collections.?A.J. Anderson, GSLIS, Simmons Coll., BostonCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The New York Times Book Review, Judith Newman
Some of the material, like its author, is a bit frayed around the edges. But when Geist, a CBS television commentator, is on, he's really on, as in his observation that Rolling Stones concerts "are beginning to take on the look of aerobics classes at a Century Village retirement community."
From Kirkus Reviews
The 50-year-old Baby Boomers are coming! Eleven thousand a day, one every seven-and-a-half seconds for the next decade, they will reach that midlife landmark. Having done so himself, CBS commentator Geist (Monster Trucks and Hair-in-a-Can, 1994, etc.) offers his take on the apparently unexpected phenomenon of growing older. It's the startling receipt of an AARP membership card that initiates the author's comical ruminations about his condition. He covers aging--the humorist's classic material--in something life 50 short checklists and brief essays. Among Geist's complaints: He's contracted CRS, or ``Can't Remember Shit'' (his case seems confirmed by the repetition of a few favorite gags). He wants to wear a name tag for his own edification. His bawdy reportage segues to narcoleptic parties, maturing kids, health spas, trifocals, the music of John Tesh, incontinence, and the grand opening of a funeral home (where guests nibbled on finger sandwiches ``from the caterer, not the back room''). With particular attention to urology and his (or anybody's) libido, Geist seems to aspire to the post of Dirty Old Man, which is okay if it's funny. Happily, most of the time it is, with just an occasional lapse. Make what you will of his sex advisory: ``Just Keep It to Yourself. At this point why drag others into this ugly business?'' For the ladies, he has a few comments on Premarin and the fitting of fiftysomethings into bathing suits. Geist, of course, has an attitude: Gail Sheehy, he has concluded, is full of that stuff he can't remember (see ``CRS''). He covers his subject with an acerbic wit that occasionally calls for a large dose of Maalox. If the AARP card so affected Geist's spirit, what will happen when his Medicare card comes 'round? Still, this is way funnier than Modern Maturity. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Book Description
Bill Geist's hilarious book describes his personal struggle with the awful aging process and with the monumental milestone called the Big Five-Oh. From the trauma of receiving an application to join the AARP to the realization that he can't really see the menu, hear the waiter, or remember the specials, Geist catalogs the discontents, large and small, of those approaching and passing fifty. He lies about his age, shops for a Harley, buys an Ab-Roller, receives liposuction counseling, finds himself the oldest guy at a rock concert, catches himself paying attention to a Depends commercial, buys "relaxed fit" jeans, falls asleep at a party, wakes up from a nightmare about college tuition, and damn near buys a Cadillac!
About the Author
Bill Geist wrote the "About New York" column for The New York Times before moving to CBS, where he is a regular commentator for "Sunday Morning" and "The CBS Evening News." He has written several books, including the best-selling Little League Confidential.
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