If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians

Written by Neenah Ellis

Narrated by Neenah Ellis

If I Live to Be 100 is based on One Hundred Years of Stories, a series of profiles of American centenarians, which Ellis produced and which aired in 2000 on NPR's Morning Edition. There are now more 100-year-olds alive than at any other time in history, and longevity studies are finding many of them are active, healthy and engaged with the world around them. Neenah Ellis set out to meet these people and to hear what insights, memories, wisdom and just plain common sense tips they have to offer. What she's found will surprise you. The original radio profiles will be intercut with Ellis's reading of her book. If I Live to be 100 is not simply a transcript of the radio series, but about how the experience of meeting and talking with these amazing centenarians affected the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Aug 21, 2002
• ISBN: 9781615730179

Reviews for If I Live to Be 100

[gcamp_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an interesting book by Neenah Ellis, in which she interviews centenarians for the NPR radio series "One Hundred Years of Stories." Neenah sought to find out more about American history by inquiring what these people witnessed in their lifetimes, but found that the interviews were not turning out as she had at first hoped. She found that the centenarians often seemed to have an agenda of their own, could not stay focused, or did not always want to give up all that they knew. Neenah, in her interviews found herself becoming very attached to some of the centenarians that she interviewed and found herself being almost mesmerized by the interviews. She told of how she interviewed a psychologist on the subject to find out exactly what was happening during these interviews. He gives a very interesting explanation of how our brains tune into or align with the brains of those around us. So what is the secret to living to be one hundred? In the end, there does not seem to be any one specific thing that gave these people the added benefit of living to an old age. But it seems that having a career or hobby that you love and being surrounded by people who you love, could be greatly beneficial. One interview that particularly struck me was the one in which she interviewed a couple who were both centenarians and they had been married for more than eighty years. According to the New England Centenarian Study, "the odds of a married couple both making it to one hundred are six million to one." I think it would be so cool to live that long and witness so many events in our history. I'm only half way there and have so much more to learn.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

e-audiobook (abridged) - nonfiction/conversations with extremely elderly, some of whom are still pretty sharp.

This book has more to do with the author's process, working through this project and adjusting her strategies and finding the best ways to get to know each person, and thinking about her own life. There are some remarkable people that she gets to talk to, but the "lessons" come from the author's processing of her experiences, rather than nuggets of wisdom spoken by the centenarians. It's interesting, but likely not what you are expecting.
At the end of the audio the NPR shows are included, so it's kind of neat to see what was broadcast after hearing about the actual interactions.

[dmtcer-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a nice book about different people who have lived to be 100 years old. It was more about the authors search to discover herself, with nice sidetrips to elderly people

[damcg63 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of those books you should just have around and keep in a guest room....after reading it, of course. A delight.

[ptpdx · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I picked up this book for 2 reasons: 1) I am a healthcare professional, and 2) I have an interest in successful aging. I could not put this book down and was so drawn into each persons life. What struck me the most about all of the centenarians interviewed was how they all seemed to be active and interested in life; always doing something. I highly recommend this book!

[lindsay_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you're interested in biography, modern history, or oral tradition you might check this book out. The stories themselves were the main focus for me, but you could also glean hints on interviewing/getting people talking from the author, who documents not only the lives of the centenarians but also her experiences in the interview process.