Why Survive?

Reviews / Votes

Butler questions the value of long life for its own sake; modern medicine, he says, has ironically created 'a huge group of people for whom survival is possible but satisfaction in living elusive.' He proposes sweeping policy reforms to redefine and restructure the institutions responsible for what he calls 'the tragedy of old age in America.'. New York Times Book Review This book admirably reviews the panoply of ugly social facts which add up to 'ageism' (a term Butler coined, meaning prejudice against old persons). In such areas as housing, Social Security, inflation, nursing homes, and medical care, Butler reports pervasive private despair and public neglect. [and] calls for a 'national policy on aging' which would encompass more and better health care, nutrition, transportation, and public service information. Library Journal Everyone should read this book... suitable for use in high school as well as medical school, and for readers of every age. Journal of the American Medical Association Crammed with facts that explode old myths. Boston Globe Eloquent, exhaustive, and formidably informed... A mandatory book. Kirkus Reviews Heavily documented, highly readable... jammed with recommendations for constructive change in every area. Science The Encyclopedia Britannica of American aging. Washingtonian