How to Age Against the Machine: An Empowering Guide for Women Ageing on Their Own Terms

by Melissa Doyle, Naima Brown

How to Age Against the Machine is a joyous, information-packed ride through ageing as a woman, in all its complexity and diversity. Melissa Doyle and Naima Brown, co-hosts of the popular Age Against the Machine podcast, ask all the right questions on thorny topics such as menopause, relationships, work, money, health and sex – with answers that inspire us to age with meaning and purpose.

As we age, some of us might feel freer than ever, with the kids out of the home and more time to ourselves; for others, it can be a stressful time of invisibility and vulnerability. No two women will age in the same way, but there’s been precious little in the way of guidance for this part of our lives – until now.

How to Age Against the Machine shares the wisdom of experts as well as real stories from women from all walks of life, normalising ageing and handing us a toolkit for these challenging yet transformative years. What are our own ageing superpowers? How can we tap into and celebrate our value and relevance to make the second part of our lives safe, healthy, connected and fulfilled? Melissa and Naima are your perfect guides for the ageing revolution!

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

320 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2023

Reviews

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5 Stars⭐️
Co-written by TV Presenter, journalist, author (former host of Sunrise) Melissa Doyle and author, TV producer, journalist Naima Brown who are firm friends, this book is based on their hit podcast, Age Against The Machine and is filled to the brim with information about women embracing ageing on their own terms. Most women feel they become invisible to society after a certain age and experience ageism.

The book features stories and wisdom from well known women such as Julie Bishop, Paulina Porizkova and many others.

Some of the topics covered in the book are menopause, relationships, money, work, power, nutrition tips, grief and end-of-life planning. The book also looks at a lot of historical facts.

I found the book informative and my word there’s a lot of information to get through.

This is a book to support you as you grow older. Every woman over 40 you need to read this, so grab a coffee, tea or wine and get stuck in!

Thank you so much to Hardie Grant Books for an advanced copy of the book.

[Lisa Anybookanytime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an information packed guide presenting a combination of science, shared wisdom, best practice, documented experience and eye-opening data on the physical, emotional, financial, practical and mental aspects of ageing for women.

Overall, I thought this was a great resource with insights on so many important issues, many of which I didn't expect to see included. (Swipe for contents and blurb.) For example, the content on the grief that ageing brings was beautifully presented, and raised questions I've not thought about yet myself. 

While the book is pitched at women over 40, I would also recommend it to younger women so they can:
*be aware of the range of issues ahead;
*act early to improve outcomes in areas where "the earlier the better" (like bone strength and money matters); and
*understand what mothers, friends or colleagues may already be going through.

I'd also suggest passing it on to the men in your life so they can better appreciate the complex challenges women face (I love the subheading "Hormones have a lot to answer for"). Plus there's information here relevant to everyone (like cognitive issues and end-of-life planning).

Critiques?

I think the fitness chapter could have covered more about the importance of strength training. Many older women still hold negative preconceptions around muscle building and their own capacity to get stronger, and there's lots of myths that need to be busted in this field.

Also, because of the huge range of subjects covered, you may find that the one bit you are most interested in doesn't go into the level of detail that you would like. Or that certain chapters aren't yet relevant to you. This is hard to avoid in a compendium of information like this. And I should point out that as a compulsive researcher I'm always wanting *more* information rather than less 🤷‍♀️

***

Disclaimer: this book was gifted by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Julie MacKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covered a broad range of aspects relating to a woman's life as she ages, from physical, social, financial things, power, work and grieving. I thought it did a good job of presenting the various issues, and there was a good balance between the challenges that older women face (especially discrimination) and the positive aspects of becoming older. All in all I thought it was a good book and worth reading.

[Michelle Lomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall an entertaining read which gives the reader a great deal of comfort knowing they are not alone. However the information was rarely rudimentary and lacked deep knowledge. I found myself skimming a lot of the pages as the ‘advice’ was common knowledge.

[Kara Rowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this beautiful book
Very informative for all women over 40
Great tips an tools to use 💕

[Kay Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly common sense - look after your health and your money; enjoy your pussy but don't be one. I'm 73 so I've already been there, done that. Probably useful for women between 40 and 50.