I'll Be Me: Film Review

Released 24 October 2014.

After experiencing some difficulty with his memory for several years, Glen Campbell received a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease in 2011 at age 75.

About the same time as this diagnosis, Glen Campbell and his wife, Kim Campbell, invited a camera crew to film "behind the scenes."

The resulting documentary--Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me (2014)--is a tribute to this musical legend and an honest-yet-dignified view of the challenges of living with Alzheimer's Disease.

The documentary is filmed over about a year and a half; however, clips of performances over several decades are included as well.

The resulting documentary is a blend between a celebration Campbell's career and an exploration of how Alzheimer's affects a person's day-to-day life.

The Pedestriennes: Book Review

Published  26 June 2014.

I love reading about athletes.  They inspire me to persevere through my present life challenges.

As a gerontologist, I most often follow news stories about mature athletes.

However, when I heard about the pedestriennes, I decided to talk a walk down memory lane.

But not my memory.

In order to help memorialize this fascinating group of female athletes, I eagerly read Harry Hall's 2014 book, The Pedestriennes: America's Forgotten Superstars.

I have accepted a review copy of Hall's book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Thanks to Hall's tireless research, I learned a great deal about the pedestriennes, who captured the nation's attention for about five years in the late 1870s.

In a quest for fortune and fame, they would walk for days on end with little sleep.

HbA1c: Biomarker of Health

Photo by Sam Azgor.

This post is part of a series on 

Biomarkers of Longevity & Health

Because I have have several members in my extended family who are diabetic (both Type I and Type II), I tend to read more about diabetes for someone without a diagnosis. 

I want to offer diabetic family members support.

I also want to understand the risks that my children and I might face because of the history of diabetes on my side of the family.

Most recently, I have been interested in learning more about the HbA1c test, also called the A1c test.

A Full Life: Book Review

Published 7 July 2015.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, has a breadth of experience spanning 90 years.

Carter has written more than two dozen books over the last four decades, but A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety (2015) has the broadest scope.

Even though much of the subject matter of this memoir has been covered in more detail in previous book, this telling stitches together an entire life's worth of memories.

It's the perfect book to read first for readers unfamiliar with Carter. It covers his life before, during and after serving in the White House.

Readers can then choose which of his other books to read for great detail and analysis.

Here are the chapter titles for A Full Life:

• Introduction
• Archery and the Race Issue
• Navy Years
• Back to Georgia
• Atlanta to Washington
• Life in the White House
• Issues Mostly Resolved
• Problems Still Pending
• Back Home
• Acknowledgments / Index

The Field: Film Review

Released 20 December 1990.

Richard Harris gives an outstanding performance in this play-turned-film The Field (1990).

Harris plays Bull McCabe, and Irish farmer, who has worked in the same field for decades. Unfortunately, the field belongs to a widow. McCabe hopes to purchase "his" field when the widow makes the decision to sell.

Supporting cast members include Sean Bean (McCabe's son), Brenda Fricker, (McCabe's wife), John Hurt (McCabe's not-too-bright sidekick), and Tom Berenger (a wealthy Irish-American who wants to buy and develop some real estate in Ireland).

For 107 minutes, I watched Bull McCabe beg, borrow, steal and more in order to get what he really wants.

McCabe explains a number of times and in a number of ways why his late life should unfold in the way he desires. He has his logic.

To avoid overt spoilers, I will remain vague, but if you read any further, the concepts discussed will color your viewing.