Successful survivors speak for themselves in this exhaustive study of the lives, attitudes, and lifestyles of more than 500 centenarians. A product of the late pioneer gerontological researcher Belle Boone Beard's over forty years of teaching, study, research, and writing in the field of aging, the book extends the author's belief that centenarians have a grasp of the essence of life itself. Ther volume, not a statistical research report, is basd on the largest collection of data on centenarians to date. The centenarians describe their characteritics, lifestyles, and personal philosophies in response to questions such as: What characteristics and daily living patterns aided their longevity? and Do centenarians have answers about survival and successful living? Seperate sections address the areas of health, education, socioeconomic status, work, social life, philosophy, roamnce, and individuality. Beard's insights regarding the personal characteristics and principles by which centenarians live contain some unexpected findings in the areas of social relationships and social environments. This postumously edited volume is faithful to Beard's goals, writing style, and content themes.
The five-part volume begins with an introduction tt contains an overview on centenarians from the point of view of the author's forty years of study. Part 2 describes some of the personal characteristics of centenarians' daily lives and points up important commonalities in actions, thought, and goals. Centenarians' contributions in the areas of work, family, and community are presented in Part 3, which highlight their imagination, work ethic, and "persistant romantic feeling about all of life". The focus of Part 4 is on the relationship between personal growth achievements and national history. The last part reports on the study's findings and suggests further research implications. Thre appendices contribute documentation, fifteen short stories by or about centenarians, and a form for contacting the Belle Boone Beard Gerontology Centre.
Author Biography:
BELLE BOONE BEARD was Chairman and Professor, Department of Sociology, Sweet Briar College, Virginia. She also held several visiting professorships throughout her career and until 1970. Her previously published books include Juvenile Probation and Social Competence of Centenarians, as well as dozens of articles in journals and magazines such as The Gerontologist, Journal of Gerontology, Geriatric Nursing, and Modern Maturity.
NERA K. WILSON is a Research Associate at the Belle Boone Beard Gerontology Center, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Virginia. She and Albert J.E. Wilson edited the manuscript of Centenarians posthumously for Belle Boone Beard.
ALBERT J.E. WILSON III is Director, Belle Boone Beard Gerontology Center, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Virginia.
