THE HOURGLASS SOLUTION A Boomer’s Guide to the Rest of Your Life

Actor Gary Collins's natural optimism and gee-whiz phrasing work well for some segments of this guide to aging. But his tone becomes narrow and predictable as the audio unfolds. Though his voice is enjoyable, he doesn't convey the ebb and flow of the audio's deeper themes. Maybe it's because the authors, even when they’re trying to look on the bright side, dwell on the darker aspects of growing older—a message that clashes with Collins's upbeat energy. They say that mid- and late-life choices are narrowed by early-life decisions but can open up with directed effort. The audio's flow is also cluttered by comments that are attributed to the authors individually. The structural device of alternating speakers in the text doesn't work well with the audio's solo narrator. T.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2009]