I am so glad I ordered this book. Was looking on Amazon.com for books about feisty older women and beside the book I love about when I am an old woman I shall wear purple I came across this book and grabbed it.

And I am so glad I did. The book is packed with wonderful empowering information on every facit of ones life if they are a woman over age fifty and not wanting to attend pity parties but wanting to grab life by the whatever and trek on for the second half of our lives.

Chapter Two Changing Identity was what I wanted and needed. Part Two of the book is excellent because it addresses how to choose wise helpers and the issue of paid work. Part Three has a great piece on being creative with ones life and just having fun. Oh and sex...

Because I live a simple lifestyle called Voluntary Simplicity I appreciated and gleaned valuable information in Part Four about housing oneself be it solo or with others. And the section on economizing offered me some ideas I didn't even know of and I have been simple living since the early 80's.

There is a nice section on Bereavement and being Politically Outrageous (I so agree) and the benefits and bonuses of aging, which is something I am learning about and appreciating.

If you library doesn't have a copy buy them one, and buy a copy for your home library since it is a book that you will (I guarantee) read and re read often and always learn something new from.

Two of my favorite women were the late actresses Ruth Gordon and Roz Russell who stared in a favorite movie of mine "Auntie Mame". Both women would have loved this book because its a book with attitude. Attitude is something older women either are afraid of or embrace. And the author is a woman I would like as a friend because she is upfront and dares talk about things that some think older women shouldn't talk about.

The book is full of really useful information and about a variety of subjects from sex, money and housing to family and life in general and how to take more risks and get more out of life. Chapter 10 Having Fun is a good example. The author says "The truth is that you can have a lot of fun being a thorn in the flesh of those who do not do right by you or others. You have a sense of humor that can sustain you through tough times" and she goes on to show how you can combine fun with social action. She also knows how to use the fine art of sarcasm which is almost a lost art.

Also like her sections on affordable housing and how to be creative with housing. And how to be creative when it comes to travel and lodging. It was so great to read where she to is a user of hostels when traveling. Hostels are a common sight in Europe and in some areas here in the West.

And I agree with her that there are so many ways to make some extra money that simply requires a frontier spirit. Like picking up recyclable bottles and cans when we are out doing errands or on a walk. I wear a small backpack when I am out walking so that I can pick up pop cans that people toss away and not only do I help keep the roadside clean I make a few extra dollars a week doing so.

Like the people in my local simple living group the author shows how using beauty colleges or chain hair cut outlets can save money. And dollar stores can get you many of the same items for a dollar that you pay more for at a drug or grocery store. Or on page 221 where she says that instead of paying money you cant afford or don't want to spend talking to someone on the phone whose voice you really do not need to hear, use email or send a written letter via the post office. And its more personal and you can write what you want and no more.

Her suggestions about shopping around for the best druggist where you can get the best prices on needed prescriptions is an excellent one. And asking your physician for samples of the drugs you take that the drug makers give him/her can save money.

The chapters on Outrageous Friendships and Companionships is awesome and something those who really do not want to be alone could learn a lot from. It is information those with a variety of friends already know.

I also liked Chapter Six and her section on Be Politically Outrageous. and the section on the Benefits and Bonuses Of Aging. I am in my fifties and cannot tell you how much useful information this author has shared that I am so grateful for learning about. And I was well informed before I read the book.

Ruth Harriet Jacobs, through the lines spoken by her characters manages to tell the tell of the "everywoman". Through her poetry she makes a startling impact and extremely strong message. She writes with a love for life and people that forces you to smile, while managing to deal with issues that face every woman, including death, aging, widowhood, prejudice, empty nest syndrome, and everything in between. She is an utter delight to read and to enjoy again and again

I have read a lot of this book, and I think it is an awesome collection of poems and stories. It seems as though some of the poems were written quite a while ago, but none-the-less, it is still an wonderful title for anyone looking for something about peace. It is enlightening and inspiring, I wish it were better known.