50 Things to Do When You Turn 50: 50 Experts on the Subject of Turning 50 Paperback – September 15, 2005

I bought this for somone who is a little crazy (my sister) and a little neurotic and a lot "my life is over". For the two weeks that she spent with me on holiday, she read this book and read me parts of this book. It is an enjoyable read, filled with things that are uplifiting without being nauseating...

I gave this to my husband for his 50th birthday more as a fun gift, but we both had a lot of fun reading the essays, some of which were humorous, some were sobering but all really got us thinking, and more importantly, planning for the next chapter of our lives. Thoughtful and inspiring, it really got both of us talking about who we want to be and the meaning we want for our lives. This is definitely an awesome gift for anyone getting ready to cross over to the other side of 50.

Bought this for a friend turning 50 and she really liked it! (At least that is what she said.) :) I paged through it before wrapping and it did look like a really nice book with great ideas and inspirational journeys.

This is a pleasant read for the just turned 50. It is inspirational from those who have been there done that. Would recommend it.

I would recommend this book to anyone turning 50. I bought it for my mother for her birthday and she has appreciated it more than we both thought she would. At first when she read the title she kind of rolled her eyes and thought "Oh yeah... 50 things to do when you're 50. They probably say to sky-dive and bungee-jump... not going to happen." I was a little worried that it may be fluffy or not very practical, but in fact it has been a great comfort to her. Because the authors have all turned 50 they are writing from a realistic standpoint, not a stereotypical "bucket list" viewpoint. They offer solid advice and personal stories that she has really been able to relate to. Often times she tells me something about what she read in the book that has given her a new way of thinking about life after her 50th birthday. I am VERY glad I bought it for her and very glad she is reading it. She dreaded turning 50, but this book has helped her embrace her age! :) Order this one instead of any of those other zillion "When you're 50" books. :)

So I'm 26... I read about half the book the night before I gave this to my mother for her 50th. I really liked it and wished that I had more time to finish it. Even though I'm only :) halfway to 50 I was feeling like it applied a lot to my life as well. My mother was struggling with the idea of turning 50. The three best things (in this order)that we did to help her get over this feeling was 1) overwhelm her with "little" surprises... 2) let all her friends, family, and coworkers know (They added to the little surprises way more than what we could have done)and 3) we gave her this book (Fifty Things to Do When You Turn Fifty: Fifty Experts on the Subject of Turning Fifty)to read on the down time after everything was all said and done. She positivity commented on the book a few times on how it really gave her a different outlook than what she had.

This book has some strong points but, very few. The one thing they fail to recognize is the target audience doesn't need the quick quips about their age simply because they are living it and have had a 2 to 3 year span to get ready for yet another virtually meaningless birthday. When authors tell you to not to worry about your appearance anymore and this applies to weight gain as well, it makes me seriously question the validity of this publication. Why then did most of us spend the majority of our younger years being health conscious with that "adds ten years to your life" carrot dangling in front of us. Now is the time to take advantage of all that hard work and continue being slim and active. One author declares "don't worry about what you wear anymore"...I have news for them.. in most cases the older you get, what you wear is 50% of what you've got to present to the world and you will feel better if that is in a positive light. Granted there are parts of the populace that have for the better part of their lives been courting the grim reaper by choice or by unfortunate circumstance. Thus relaxing one's appearance is quite welcomed. The rest of the population who see no difference between 49 and 50 take pride in their appearance from the inside out. In closing if you believe that turning 50 does make you an old fuddy duddy ready for velcro shoes in a formal setting... feel free to wallow in this book embracing the light. On the other hand if you feel good and are a healthy 49 year old, disregard this complete downer. This manual for entering "Carrousel" thus begins "Renewal" from "Logan's Run" is a handbook for the uninformed and scared. Please take it with a grain of salt and not a post 50's handbook of survival.

The book was a huge hit. My sister turned 50 and called me to say that there are some things she really need and want to do from the book. Yippie Yahoo. This was very affordable and well received gift.