America is greying. One in three people will be fifty or older by the end of this decade. Although Baby Boomers have made great strides in changing some of the negative stereotypes associated with ageing, ageism is still prevalent throughout society. These deeply ingrained, harmful prejudices can be changed to benefit everybody, argue Drs. Albert Ellis and Emmett Velten. They believe that everyone can - with the right attitudes, tools and hard work - invent their own lives, not just live out the scripts provided by an ageist society. Written in a humorous and interactive style, "Optimal Aging" should help readers recognize and combat harmful attitudes that hold them back and develop more productive attitudes. The authors address everything from finances to health, personal relationships to retirement planning, dating to coping with loss. Ellis and Velten's methods and tools come from researched, practical forms of self-help and psychotherapy, particularly rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT). "Optimal Aging" seeks to help people: break free of negative stereotypes and prejudices about age; feel happy and committed to life and living vitally; get more of what they want and less of what they don't want out of their longer lives; apply their knowledge and common sense to cope with the practical hassles of older age and to capitalize on its opportunities; cultivate attitudes that will help them plan and act in their own interest; resolve disappointments about past failures and unfulfilled expectations; and create new roles and experiences.

A guide for dealing with personal crises, either for self-help or as an accompanying book for a course, teaching methods for averting personal crises and for recovering from the ones experienced. It covers the four main areas of life that are the foundation for happiness: mental health, spiritual balance, personal finances, and lawful-ethical behavior. Although this book's audience can include anyone, it is focused on common issues for four main categories of people: adolescents, those afoul of the law, midlifers, and the elderly. Each lesson in the book includes exercises and worksheets to help the reader in several ways: Identify personal risks that can turn into crises, Assess the likely causes of an existing crisis, Formulate strategies for avoiding and managing crises, and Create an action plan for recovering from an ongoing crisis. These are imparted by four accomplished experts in their fields who give you actionable insights for achieving happiness: Dr. Peter Tarlow, a world-renowned speaker and columnist writing about philosophy and religion, discusses spirituality; Dr. Tom Marrs, a licensed psychologist and behaviorist, shows you what you can do to attain and maintain good mental health; Dr. Eduardo Leite, a management and finances expert, helps you establish essential personal finances; and Nathaniel Tarlow, a successful civil and criminal defense attorney, explains how society and laws affect you before and after a personal crisis. By the end of Personal Reconstruction, the reader have a good understanding of the psychological, spiritual, financial and legal factors that affect happiness. The reader will also know which actions to take before suffering a crisis, and will have tools and strategies for recovery that can be applied after experiencing a personal crisis that is not averted .