You’re not feeling down because you’re somehow less of a person than your neighbor, who may seem “up” all the time. You’re feeling down because that feeling is a totally logical and reasonable response to everything you’re trying to hold up or hold together for yourself and your loved ones, moment by moment, day by day.

-50 Ways to Feel Great Today, p. 11

Summary: Authors David B. Biebel, DMin, James E. Dill, MD and Bobbie Dill, RN summarize this book in their introduction:

Here’s the gist of what’s in store for you as you continue to read: fifty simple and more or less inexpensive suggestions about things you can do today to improve your day, based on the best sources we could find as we searched far and wide. You’ll find references to scientific research as appropriate, quotes about or from noteworthy individuals, citations from wisdom literature and the Scriptures, true stories about people a lot like yourself, and a significant number of practical suggestions about what might help combat your own stress, worry, and discouragement in a way that fits your style and needs.

Here is a sampling of the suggestions:

• Fly a Kite
• Trace Your Ancestry
• Simplify Your Life
• Immerse Yourself in Nature
• Visit a Landmark

Review: After cracking this book open, I quickly realized that I was not in the appropriate demographic. Many of the chapters mention activities to do with your spouse, children and/or grandchildren. References to the Internet and exercise include basic information for beginners. As I read on, I had the hunch that at least one of the author’s was in his 70′s. This seemed to be confirmed upon discovering that two of the three authors previously wrote a book titled 70 Ways to Beat 70. Other chapters such as “Pamper Yourself” and “Work On Your Scrapbook” were geared toward women. With this is mind, know that I am not the target consumer of the presented material.

The book’s sub-title is “Keys to Beating Stress, Worry, and the Blues”. Many of the keys presented are ways to get your mind off of things that may be weighing you down. They are all good activities, but might not be enough for more severe anxiety and depression. Another thing to keep in mind is that many of the suggestions require a substantial amount of free time (e.g. learn an instrument).

This book would make a good fit for an older couple looking to spice life up by introducing different, healthy, memorable and pleasurable activities to established routines.

Rating: 3/5

This book was provided for review by Baker-Revell. To learn more about or purchase this book on Amazon, click here.