The Book of Life : One Mans Search for the Wisdom of Age

by Jackson. Andrew.

Andrew Jackson quit his high-powered job in advertising to travel the world with his wife Vanella. Their quest was to meet the oldest people alive and imbibe some of their knowledge. With Jackson, we discover the stories of nonagenarians and centenarians in Slovakia, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, America, Ecuador and Bolivia. The two-year-long journey ends in in the most moving passage of the book, Vanella hovers between life and death in Caracas, at the end of their trip. This is not a book of exploration in the conventional sense. Jackson and his wife do not scale mountains or penetrate jungles. Rather, in their meetings with the aged, they explore the changing world and the peaceful demeanour which has helped these survivors to live into their dotage. In the stories of the Navajo medicine men, Indian cricketers and Balinese priests, we are reminded of the dangers of population growth and environmental decay and hear of the wholesale changes in values and morals. Jackson is not a particularly evocative writer, but the message of the book is an important one. Says one man in "These days, everyone is interested in his own. In the past we all used to eat from the same plate. Now, each has his own plate." --Toby Green

Genres: Philosophy

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1999

Reviews

[Carrie Kellenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on my shelves for 10+ years. An enjoyable travel memoir with the author traveling around the world to speak to the oldest people in each country to learn their wisdom and stories about life.

[Heloise Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book. It cannot be shoved into one category. I heard why this couple undertook this journey but there were times I felt like asking them "What's the point of this?". But then, hey, any excuse to travel is a good one.

[Devilish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise. An Englishman and his wife set out around the world to talk to old people. He paints evocative pictures of the places and people. Sometimes the jump from one place to the next takes a bit to work out where they are now. But I prefer this to lots of boring link passages. At times it is quite personal and I wonder how they both feel about these intimacies being in print now several years after the fact.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely photos.