No-one wants to die young, but nobody wants to get old. Elke Heidenreich, having reached a certain age, has made it her mission to debunk some of our persistent myths about ageing in a witty and life-affirming book. It does not set out to be a self-help text: it is rather a wise essay on the author's life and experience as a writer, literary critic, journalist and television presenter. She has read widely and here shares the wisdom of her favourite philosophers, historians and authors.