---

---

 
white hair 365 recommends
PRACTICAL LIFE ARTS

one of our favorite resources

CRITERIA  

1. Interest. Is the topic/theme of the book of interest to "boomers" and older adults? Is it a "good read"? -A "Good Read" can remind those who pick it up of their own intrinsic wisdom, insight and unique qualities gained over the decades. It can be a connection with what inspires people -regardless of age.

2. Inspiration. Does the book have a life-affirming appeal?

3. Special Features. Does the book have special features that can make it especially valuable to readers of The Sage Companion?

4. Authority. Who is the author? What expertise does the author have in the subject matter?

5. Timeliness. Is the book current? How current is the material?

6. Scope. Is the book thorough? What subject area is covered? And how broad or specific is the treatment of the subject?

7. Organization. Can one easily find information? Is there and Index if the book is non-fiction?

8. Format. How readable is the print? And is the"interior design" of the book attractive?

9.Cost. How much does it cost? Can it be downloaded, if desired?

10.Reviews. Are there any? Do they seem authentic?  Did our review team agree with what others had said about the book?

                                                 janeAnne Närrin, Editor

                                   365book-of-the-month                                      

fiction
SELECTIONS

"Dedicated to the survivors of America’s decades of discontent
and the writers, musicians, artists and entertainers
who helped them through it."           

CRYSTAL SHIPS

by Richard Sharp

 Author Richard Sharp

Richard Sharp earned a BA from Harvard as well as a Masters Degree from Princeton, launching a career as an international development consultant before recently retiring.His work throughout the US and in over four dozen countries provides authentic settings for his fictional work.

He is the author of Jacob’s Cellar, Time is the Oven, The Duke Don’t Dance, and his most recent novel, Crystal Ships. His publications have garnered him multiple accolades, including a Kirkus Star and place on the Kirkus Best Self-Published Book list (2013), the an Independent Publishers gold medal for Best Adult Fiction  (2014), a finalist finish in the ForeWord Clarion Firsts (2012) and Reader’s Favorite (2012) categories, and even a Deane Ritch Lomax Poetry Award for an extract from Crystal Ships.

RICHARD SHARP
AT THE SAGE COMPANION PROJECT

 You can expect to be propelled by  BOLTS of emotion!  Richard Sharp, (Best Adult Fiction Novelist, 2013-) weaves heart pounding moments into his latest novel.  I wanted to escape to a softer place, for this is not only the story of an assault on  a complicated young girl, but the on the confrontation of a values in a changing society.

Crystal Ships might be regarded as a companion piece to Sharp’s prize-winning Indie novel, The Duke Don’t Dance. Again, his rigorous narrative of this unfolding tale was relentless.  I could not put it down.

Immersed in the popular culture and politics of its time, Sharp’s latest novel focuses on a specific period - 1960-1978. Here, with great craft obviously supported by his research and personal experience, Sharp   reveals the spirit of this period.  He encompasses humor around tragedy, and brings a new light to social and cultural perspectives.  Dedicated to the survivors it must be.

Of Crystal Ships, CreateSpace says: “A sweeping saga of American idealism and disillusionment, Richard Sharp’s exquisite Crystal Ships traces the lives of seven friends through two decades of violence, hope, and cultural change Sharp spins an epic tale that starts back in the heady days of the Kennedy administration, when Camelot appeared as a shining beacon of hope for all Americans.” 

Here is a novel orchestrated within an era laden with moral ambiguities and the ambiguities in the protagonists themselves. Alive with emotive threads that play piercingly throughout the novel, Sharp rivets the reader and keeps pages turning. “Sexual tension - passion - the dreams of youth - yearning for more - reaching for the stars, along with the disappointments life hands to everyone - it's all wrapped up in one perfect rendition dedicated to the 50th memorial of JFK's assassination.”

Early on, Sharp introduces us to Lucy, a sexually provocative young girl. With a clap of emotion reminiscent of  a performance by  Jim Morrison and The Doors, he then makes the reader an eye-witness to each horrifying moment of her rape.  At the same time, he reaches within the psyche and defiant spirit of this character allowing her to react in a darkly comic victory scene..

 “ I feel that the credibility of my female protagonists owes a lot to … Isabel Allende’s novels and memoir.. ..” Sharp tells me in an interview.  

Assassinations, drugs, gender conflicts, and the Vietnam War come crashing through Crystal Ships as the voices of Sharp’s haunting, individually defined characters speak.

In his career, Richard Sharp traveled the world. Clearly he writes from first-hand knowledge of the  locales he chooses, as well as of the war itself. Sharp brings these locations alive and “…animates the Vietnam era with sharply drawn characters and intricate story lines,” one reader says.

365book-of-the-month

read
INTERVIEW  
with the award-winning

RICHARD SHARP

janeAnne Närrin

Crystal Ships

YOU CAN FIND ALL OF SHARP'S NOVELS AT POWELL'S

---

---

nonfiction
SELECTIONS

The Feathered Nest Collection

---

---

MORE PRACTICAL LIFE ARTS

Sage Companion Project eBooklets

---

---

AGING-IN-PALACE© * Here is a beginner's  guide written by one who is living the "aging-in-place" experience.  janeAnneNärrin offers readers a simple to understand plan for creating a feathered nest today that can work over a lifetime-  regardless of age or physical ability. The small but useful eReader contains a series of TALKING POINTS that can be effective conversation starters for all stakeholders.

If you desire information about preparing and enjoying lifelong homes, this is a good place to start.

It's a "fast read" with basic information- a quick start guide for aging at home  - eBooklet of just 46pps... It was written for THE SAGE COMPANION PROJECT (a not-for-profit educational and social enterprise) by  janeAnneNärrin

 365book-of-the-month

---

---

---

---

T h e   S a g e   C o m p a n i o n   P r o j e c t

              GO TO THE EVOVLING HOMES BOOKSHELF            

(AGING-IN-PLACE)

USE THE SEARCH FORM  ABOVE

---

---

---

---

“I wrote this book to meet the needs of the growing number of people who are 65 or older, as well as the needs of the people who care for them, whether formally or informally, down the block or across the country. Elder care is a big topic of conversation among my fellow Baby Boomers. It consumes a lot of time and energy and requires an active response. Staying Power is for everyone, with tips on communication to help family members collaborate and take constructive action. You don't have to become an expert on aging; this book can help you "cut to the chase" to help yourself and the people you know.”

“I wrote about this topic because I have always loved solving practical problems in everyday life - making things comfortable, setting up processes, working with contractors and designers. And in my career, I had the good fortune to write about human factors, ergonomics, Universal Design. When I began taking courses in Aging, it all came together. As a long-time science writer concerned with public health, I knew I could popularize this material and make it accessible to a wide audience.

Besides, I've fallen myself--it really hurts, and can cause lifelong problems.  When you fall in old age, there is a 50% chance you might never go home again.  A lot of this book is about fall prevention, so you can age at home if that's what you want -- and avoid falls even if you move to ‘senior housing.

365book-of-the-month

go here for even more feathered nest ideas

LIFELONG "EVER- EVOLVING" HOME BOOKSHELF

365book-of-the-month

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---