Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old
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- Create Date：2021-06-28 22:32:31
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Steven Petrow
- ISBN：B096YBP99T
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Summary
Soon after his 50th birthday， Steven Petrow began assembling a list of “things I won’t do when I get old”—mostly a catalog of all the things he thought his then 70-something year old parents were doing wrong。 That list， which included “You won’t have to shout at me that I’m deaf，” and “I won’t blame the family dog for my incontinence，” became the basis of this rousing collection of do’s and don’ts， wills and won’ts that is equal parts hilarious， honest， and practical。
The fact is， we don’t want to age the way previous generations did。 “Old people” hoard。 They bore relatives—and strangers—with tales of their aches and pains。 They insist on driving long after they’ve become a danger to others （and themselves）。 They eat dinner at 4pm。 They swear they don’t need a cane or walker （and guess what happens next）。 They never， ever apologize。 But there is another way 。 。 。
In Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I’m Old， Petrow candidly addresses the fears， frustrations， and stereotypes that accompany aging。 He offers a blueprint for the new old age， and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same。 As he writes， “I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder—to me—to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to ‘old。’”
Getting older is a privilege。 This essential guide reveals how to do it with grace， wisdom， humor， and hope。 And without hoarding。
Running Time: 6 hours and 12 minutes
The fact is， we don’t want to age the way previous generations did。 “Old people” hoard。 They bore relatives—and strangers—with tales of their aches and pains。 They insist on driving long after they’ve become a danger to others （and themselves）。 They eat dinner at 4pm。 They swear they don’t need a cane or walker （and guess what happens next）。 They never， ever apologize。 But there is another way 。 。 。
In Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I’m Old， Petrow candidly addresses the fears， frustrations， and stereotypes that accompany aging。 He offers a blueprint for the new old age， and an understanding that aging and illness are not the same。 As he writes， “I meant the list to serve as a pointed reminder—to me—to make different choices when I eventually cross the threshold to ‘old。’”
Getting older is a privilege。 This essential guide reveals how to do it with grace， wisdom， humor， and hope。 And without hoarding。
Running Time: 6 hours and 12 minutes
Reviews
Carla Johnson-Hicks
，
I'm sure we all think our parents or grandparents can be embarrassing and do things that we would never do when we get to their age， well， think again。 When Steven Petrow was 50， he began to make a list of all the things his parents were doing wrong and eventually， all these lists became this book。 Now， I am in my 60s and I laughed wholeheartedly as I listened to this book。 I also had a list in my mind of things my mother did that I was never going to do， but， I know I have turned into my mother I'm sure we all think our parents or grandparents can be embarrassing and do things that we would never do when we get to their age， well， think again。 When Steven Petrow was 50， he began to make a list of all the things his parents were doing wrong and eventually， all these lists became this book。 Now， I am in my 60s and I laughed wholeheartedly as I listened to this book。 I also had a list in my mind of things my mother did that I was never going to do， but， I know I have turned into my mother， at least partly。 There is a lot to laugh at in this book， as you see yourself in its pages， but there are also some serious points that are helpful。 If you are a younger person reading or listening to this book， listen carefully。 You will see where you might be able to curb your frustrations and impatience with older relatives and friends。 One really important thing I took from this book is that we need to have a positive frame of mind and live life to the fullest， even as we age。 I really enjoyed Steven Petrow's anecdotes that he shared with his readers and I think I would love to meet and talk to him。 The audiobook was narrated by Michael Butler Murray and I loved his performance and reading of this book。 I really felt like I was sitting and listening to someone sharing their stories with me in a café or livingroom。 I definitely recommend this book to everyone。 It is a pure delight。 The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Chelsea
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Even though this is basically just borrowed advice from a bunch of other people， I still liked it and the way it was written。
Susanne
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Thank you to the author， Kensington Books and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I wasn't sure what to expect with this book， and ended up really loving it。 The author starts with a humorous take， but his writing is deeply personal and he shares openly and honestly from his own life and family background， as he explores some of the mantras many of us have - consciously or subconsciously - regarding aging。 At the same time， this serves as a wake-up call for things I never thou Thank you to the author， Kensington Books and NetGalley， for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。I wasn't sure what to expect with this book， and ended up really loving it。 The author starts with a humorous take， but his writing is deeply personal and he shares openly and honestly from his own life and family background， as he explores some of the mantras many of us have - consciously or subconsciously - regarding aging。 At the same time， this serves as a wake-up call for things I never thought about and realized I should be aware of in terms of getting older。 。。。more
Kristina Barnes
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Thank you Highbridge Audio for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 I appreciate that this author chose to share his thoughts and do so in an entertaining way。 I chuckled a couple times while listening to this book。 I enjoyed the humor。 But honestly， I was bored for the majority of it。 I found it hard to relate to。 I’m not sure if I will recommend this book to others。
Allison
，
3。5 stars。 This book was funny and entertaining。 The author made a lot of great observations about growing older and wrote about what he intends to do differently than those he observed around him。 As a young mobility aid user， I especially liked that he didn’t feed the stereotype about mobility aids being embarrassing and isn’t ashamed by the idea of using one someday。I’m not exactly sure what genre this book falls under other than maybe just non-fic/entertainment。 It wasn’t really a self-dev/a 3。5 stars。 This book was funny and entertaining。 The author made a lot of great observations about growing older and wrote about what he intends to do differently than those he observed around him。 As a young mobility aid user， I especially liked that he didn’t feed the stereotype about mobility aids being embarrassing and isn’t ashamed by the idea of using one someday。I’m not exactly sure what genre this book falls under other than maybe just non-fic/entertainment。 It wasn’t really a self-dev/advice type book and had strong autobiography type vibes because of how many personal stories it contained。Thanks NetGalley for the ARC audiobook！ 。。。more
Deb
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3。5 smart stars， rounded up to 4。 I started writing my ‘old age manifesto’ 2 years ago。 Steven Petrow spent ten years jotting down things as his parents aged and asked friends to share ‘concerns’ about aging。 Stupid Things I Won’t do when I Get Old is honest， practical， and a little bit funny。 Petrow shares stories， especially of his parents， in personable， yet relatable ways。 He also shares insights from friends who aged well。A few of the dos and don’ts: Don’t hoard， don’t drive when you should 3。5 smart stars， rounded up to 4。 I started writing my ‘old age manifesto’ 2 years ago。 Steven Petrow spent ten years jotting down things as his parents aged and asked friends to share ‘concerns’ about aging。 Stupid Things I Won’t do when I Get Old is honest， practical， and a little bit funny。 Petrow shares stories， especially of his parents， in personable， yet relatable ways。 He also shares insights from friends who aged well。A few of the dos and don’ts: Don’t hoard， don’t drive when you shouldn’t， do use a cane or walker rather than fall and break bones， do get hearing aids if you need them， do shower so you won’t smell bad， do consider writing your own obituary， do make sure your final wishes are known， do make friends of many ages， and say， “I love you” often。 Narrator Michael Butler Murray had a well-paced， easy-to-understand-and-listen-to voice。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Zaba Cita Novine
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DNFed at 25%This was really not the right book for me and not at all what I have expected。 I must say that I have no interest whatsoever in erectile disfunction in older men， dying your hair to look younger or just straight lying about your age。
Karen
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We are all getting older， no matter your current age， and being self-aware as to our changing needs and limitations is important。 It's also important to be open to learning and trying new things。 This book is a look at how the author is trying to age gracefully and what he's learned by watching those who've gone before him with thoughtfulness and humor。 I love that his goal is to try to be more aware of how others are impacted as well。 Yes， we all love our independence， but there's a time when t We are all getting older， no matter your current age， and being self-aware as to our changing needs and limitations is important。 It's also important to be open to learning and trying new things。 This book is a look at how the author is trying to age gracefully and what he's learned by watching those who've gone before him with thoughtfulness and humor。 I love that his goal is to try to be more aware of how others are impacted as well。 Yes， we all love our independence， but there's a time when those car keys need to be hung up for good。 Seeing friends age， I've learned one can either choose to be stuck in the past or to move forward。 Our best years can be ahead of us if we're open to moving forward。Thank you HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Tammy Sutcliffe
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Such an interesting twist on growing older！ I listened to the audiobook and it was sentimental， sweet， educational and heartfelt！ Author Steven Petrow at times made me sad， laugh out loud， take notes and agree with his assessment of his own family and the general population。 There is lots of great advice on aging and how to change up our habits to better enjoy our later years！！ This is entertaining as well as being an excellent resource！！ I hope I haven’t double spaced！ #StupidThingsIWon’tDoWhen Such an interesting twist on growing older！ I listened to the audiobook and it was sentimental， sweet， educational and heartfelt！ Author Steven Petrow at times made me sad， laugh out loud， take notes and agree with his assessment of his own family and the general population。 There is lots of great advice on aging and how to change up our habits to better enjoy our later years！！ This is entertaining as well as being an excellent resource！！ I hope I haven’t double spaced！ #StupidThingsIWon’tDoWhenIGetOld#NetGalley 。。。more
Timothy Barr
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I was granted an advanced copy of this text by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 This was a fun little read in my spare time between doing projects around my house。 It was light， funny， and offered an escape。 Petrow will not win any awards for this， but it sure is entertaining and will be a good gift for the holiday season for parents。
Anjana Baidya
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A solid 3。5 for me。Thank you NetGalley， Steven Petrow and Kensington Books for the audiobook。 This book really gives an amazing peek in someone's life and how he lives despite his growing age。 He made this book personal and relatable。 He talked about relationship between parents and the children and how they change or evolve as we age。 It was very relatable。 This book starts in a humorous way。 And I would say most of the book goes that way but as we dive deeper， it depicts some deeper and seriou A solid 3。5 for me。Thank you NetGalley， Steven Petrow and Kensington Books for the audiobook。 This book really gives an amazing peek in someone's life and how he lives despite his growing age。 He made this book personal and relatable。 He talked about relationship between parents and the children and how they change or evolve as we age。 It was very relatable。 This book starts in a humorous way。 And I would say most of the book goes that way but as we dive deeper， it depicts some deeper and serious issues。 He write all of it in amazingly honest way。It is also a LGBTQA+ book， and I am glad I listened to it in pride month 。。。more
Kayla Tornello
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This book is mostly about the author's experiences with his parents as they aged。 He tells about the things he would like to do differently as he ages。 Some parts of this story are humorous， and other parts are more serious。 Overall， it makes you think about how you want to live your life， both now and in the future。 I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway。 Yay！ This book is mostly about the author's experiences with his parents as they aged。 He tells about the things he would like to do differently as he ages。 Some parts of this story are humorous， and other parts are more serious。 Overall， it makes you think about how you want to live your life， both now and in the future。 I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway。 Yay！ 。。。more
Gea
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I've just turned 72， and find that according to this book， I've already done too many stupid things！ Full of wit and humour， and some sage advice， the author leads us through the many pitfalls of growing older。 I've just turned 72， and find that according to this book， I've already done too many stupid things！ Full of wit and humour， and some sage advice， the author leads us through the many pitfalls of growing older。 。。。more
Alison Robinson
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It is hard for me to describe this book。 What I thought would be sarcastic writing ending up being wise， touching， and a little bit humorous。 We could all learn some very good life lessons from reading Petrow's book。 It is hard for me to describe this book。 What I thought would be sarcastic writing ending up being wise， touching， and a little bit humorous。 We could all learn some very good life lessons from reading Petrow's book。 。。。more
Dora Okeyo
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Growing old is inevitable， just like the saying goes "what goes up but never comes down？" and the answer is always "age，" well， this book was downright hilarious。 When I saw it on Netgalley， I was hooked by the title alone because I wanted to know what stupid things the author wouldn't do when he gets old， but what I found instead was a list of experiences that highlight the fears and our take on aging that made this book relatable。Thanks Netgalley for the eARC。 Growing old is inevitable， just like the saying goes "what goes up but never comes down？" and the answer is always "age，" well， this book was downright hilarious。 When I saw it on Netgalley， I was hooked by the title alone because I wanted to know what stupid things the author wouldn't do when he gets old， but what I found instead was a list of experiences that highlight the fears and our take on aging that made this book relatable。Thanks Netgalley for the eARC。 。。。more
Trijntje
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This is a laundry list of things the author has noted over the years that "old" people do， and his personal stories of why he is going to try to stop himself from falling in step with them， and why。 Some are funny and obvious。 Some are just his own taste。 Some hauntingly （because I'm just about his age） sound like someone reassuring themselves， just a bit， that if they don't do these old people things maybe they aren't yet old。 Yet somehow he acknowledges his age， and seems mostly accepting of i This is a laundry list of things the author has noted over the years that "old" people do， and his personal stories of why he is going to try to stop himself from falling in step with them， and why。 Some are funny and obvious。 Some are just his own taste。 Some hauntingly （because I'm just about his age） sound like someone reassuring themselves， just a bit， that if they don't do these old people things maybe they aren't yet old。 Yet somehow he acknowledges his age， and seems mostly accepting of it， so that's not saying I think he's in denial about it！ As I got further along in the book， I found myself skimming more。 I'd read his "what I won't do" thesis but them skim over his personal story of where he encountered this as a life-changing thing to avoid。 I guess that's because we'll all recognize these traits （complaining about the cost of things， for instance， or achy joints）， but we all have our own bugaboos as to why or how hard to avoid them。 I will say I also found it kind of depressing。。。 by the time I got 2/3 of the way through it felt like a laundry list of all the traits we're headed to in old age that can seem， frankly， horrifying when you put them all together in a book as if we are all destined to fall prey to each one。 And we all know we can't escape aging。。。 。。。more
Ellina
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This book is not interesting， funny nor was it amusing。 I decided I had enough at 32%
Nancy
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I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I’m happy I did。 It is a funny， yet touching book of advice on what to do and not do if you’re lucky enough to get old。 Loved it！
Alicia Bayer
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This book starts out rather humorous and sometimes mocking， but it evolves into a really helpful， heartfelt list of the ways we sabotage ourselves and our relationships in our oldest years。 The author wrote it over a ten year period of his parents' last years and deaths， starting when they were alive and were sometimes just annoying in their habits but ending up with all of the wisdom he gathered from loving them， losing them， and seeing what he would do differently。 Along the way he also descri This book starts out rather humorous and sometimes mocking， but it evolves into a really helpful， heartfelt list of the ways we sabotage ourselves and our relationships in our oldest years。 The author wrote it over a ten year period of his parents' last years and deaths， starting when they were alive and were sometimes just annoying in their habits but ending up with all of the wisdom he gathered from loving them， losing them， and seeing what he would do differently。 Along the way he also describes beloved friends who lived life （and the end of it） exceptionally well， with lessons for all of us。I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley。 。。。more
Sangeeta
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3。5Enjoyed this， found it warm and insightful。 But like one other reviewer here mentioned， it just wasn’t as funny as I expected it to be。 *Thanks for the ARC， NetGalley！*
Lisa Konet
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I do not consider myself old yet， I will be 38 next month in June。 I like that this book was about not letting your age getting in the way of living your life。 I would say 95% of this book humorous but it was also very personal and honest about the aging process and that old age does not have to be a death sentence。 Filled with wonderful anecdotes and humor。I definitely recommend this for anyone who is trying to fight their age and the aging process。 I think I will get this at publishing， it was I do not consider myself old yet， I will be 38 next month in June。 I like that this book was about not letting your age getting in the way of living your life。 I would say 95% of this book humorous but it was also very personal and honest about the aging process and that old age does not have to be a death sentence。 Filled with wonderful anecdotes and humor。I definitely recommend this for anyone who is trying to fight their age and the aging process。 I think I will get this at publishing， it was that good。 I sincerely hope Steven Petrow writes more nonfiction if it is as good as this one。Thanks to Netgalley， Steven Petrow and Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I also thank Kensington Books for an auto approval to all the wonderful titles in the publisher's collection。Available: 6/29/21 。。。more
Candy
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Petrow can't keep you from becoming your parents， but he gives you a list of things to watch out for。。。 Petrow can't keep you from becoming your parents， but he gives you a list of things to watch out for。。。 。。。more
Toni
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It was the title of this book that " got me"。 According to the CDC I am already old， so I had to learn what not to do。Tha authors philosophy is to not let a number ， our age， get in the way of living our life。The book consists of many short Chapters which does cover every topic such as Tavis vs users， using a walker， urination frequency， therapeutic lies， stopping driving， assisted living， and much much more。 This is a fun book with lots of humor。 It helps reassess aging and look at it in an ent It was the title of this book that " got me"。 According to the CDC I am already old， so I had to learn what not to do。Tha authors philosophy is to not let a number ， our age， get in the way of living our life。The book consists of many short Chapters which does cover every topic such as Tavis vs users， using a walker， urination frequency， therapeutic lies， stopping driving， assisted living， and much much more。 This is a fun book with lots of humor。 It helps reassess aging and look at it in an enthusiastic manne。 In other words accept it willingly。I saw either myself or situation s I'd been in with my parents in every chapter。I want tothank the author， Kensington Publishing and NetGallet for the opportunity to read and review this self help book。 it's publication date is 6/29/21 。。。more
Karen
，
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I went into this book thinking it was humor， and I was right。 But it was so much more。 I thought it would be light & fluffy funny bits， but then I started realizing， "Hey， this is me！"。 The author， Steven Petrow is my age， and it's nice to hear from someone of my generation talk about the facts of getting old。 The part I really related to is getting rid of 'stuff'。 It seems that we spend our lives collecting things， and it's har I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I went into this book thinking it was humor， and I was right。 But it was so much more。 I thought it would be light & fluffy funny bits， but then I started realizing， "Hey， this is me！"。 The author， Steven Petrow is my age， and it's nice to hear from someone of my generation talk about the facts of getting old。 The part I really related to is getting rid of 'stuff'。 It seems that we spend our lives collecting things， and it's hard to get to the point when you realize you need to unload stuff， and not leave it for others to tend to after you are gone。 I loved how honest the author was about the issues we may have as we get older。 He approaches these facts with humor and honesty。 Some books I start reading and think， "hope this picks up the pace"， but Mr。 Petrow had me hooked right from the start。 I absolutely LOVED this book！ 。。。more
Stefanie Bevins
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I really liked this book。 I think it provides a lot of really great outlooks and valid points about life and what should be taken seriously and what shouldn't。 There's a lot of good lessons in it。 I'm in my early 30s so I am a little ways off from the authors definition of 'old' but there are very legitimate points such as planning your funeral and writing letters to your loved ones for after you pass that are things that could be done when you are younger， just to prepare since unfortunately we I really liked this book。 I think it provides a lot of really great outlooks and valid points about life and what should be taken seriously and what shouldn't。 There's a lot of good lessons in it。 I'm in my early 30s so I am a little ways off from the authors definition of 'old' but there are very legitimate points such as planning your funeral and writing letters to your loved ones for after you pass that are things that could be done when you are younger， just to prepare since unfortunately we never know when it is our time to go。 I enjoyed how Steve Petrow shared stories of his parents and family with many of the 'stupid' things he won't do when he's old 。。。more
Kathy
，
Maybe it's just that I'm a generation younger than Petrow， but this really didn't hit my fancy。 Mostly， I found it terribly depressing。 It's all fine to say you're not going to enumerate your aches and pains during conversations， but by saying you're not going to， you've already done it。 Each chapter is a short essay at least and suitable for picking up and putting down。 Maybe it's just that I'm a generation younger than Petrow， but this really didn't hit my fancy。 Mostly， I found it terribly depressing。 It's all fine to say you're not going to enumerate your aches and pains during conversations， but by saying you're not going to， you've already done it。 Each chapter is a short essay at least and suitable for picking up and putting down。 。。。more
Teresa
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Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow。。I just turned 40 a few weeks ago， and while I don't consider that to be old， I'm also no longer under the impression that I'm immortal anymore。 Getting older is a mixed bag， mostly awesome， sometimes frustrating。 This was kind of the perfect read since it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately。Petrow breaks his books down into short chapters， all highlighting， hence the title， stupid things h Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow。。I just turned 40 a few weeks ago， and while I don't consider that to be old， I'm also no longer under the impression that I'm immortal anymore。 Getting older is a mixed bag， mostly awesome， sometimes frustrating。 This was kind of the perfect read since it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately。Petrow breaks his books down into short chapters， all highlighting， hence the title， stupid things he won't do when he gets old。 Some of them are funny and benign， like not constantly complaining about aches and pains， or not smelling bad。 Others are much more impactful like， never missing a chance to say I love you。 He writes with a lot of anecdotes and with a lot of sweet nostalgia and history。 I definitely learned a few things， and made some resolutions of my own。 。。。more
Andrea Pole
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Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow tapped into all of my emotions。 This is a highly personal， yet relatable， look at the aging process， and it is as honest and unfiltered as it is witty and sharp。 The author delves into an inevitable experience of the human condition， that of aging。 We cannot help but laugh at his shrewd observations of a process that is familiar in each of our own lives， either as something we are experiencing ourselves， or have witnessed in those we hold Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow tapped into all of my emotions。 This is a highly personal， yet relatable， look at the aging process， and it is as honest and unfiltered as it is witty and sharp。 The author delves into an inevitable experience of the human condition， that of aging。 We cannot help but laugh at his shrewd observations of a process that is familiar in each of our own lives， either as something we are experiencing ourselves， or have witnessed in those we hold dear。 While the early essays seem， for the most part， to offer lighthearted perspective， they gradually move to a much darker place， reflecting on the finite nature of our time with our parents， and the crippling fear of growing old alone。While I expected a witty take on the aged， Mr Petrow also leaves us pondering our own mortality。Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an ARC。 。。。more
Bookgrrl
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3。5 starsShortly after his 50th birthday， the author began assembling a list of “things I won’t do when I get old“。 A lot of these are based on his observations of his aging parents and/or friends。 The list ranges from not blaming the dog for my incontinence and not getting offended when someone says “OK boomer“， to more serious topics like knowing when to stop driving and telling people that you love them before it’s too late。 The book is well written， as you would expect from a journalist with 3。5 starsShortly after his 50th birthday， the author began assembling a list of “things I won’t do when I get old“。 A lot of these are based on his observations of his aging parents and/or friends。 The list ranges from not blaming the dog for my incontinence and not getting offended when someone says “OK boomer“， to more serious topics like knowing when to stop driving and telling people that you love them before it’s too late。 The book is well written， as you would expect from a journalist with decades of experience and prior books under his belt。 I am in my 40s， and I will admit that I do several of the things on this list already， like eating dinner at 5 PM and the “organ recital“ （this is reciting all your aches and pains with friends）。 But I was a bit disappointed to find that the book is really not as humorous as it was proposed to be。 Don’t get me wrong， there are certainly some funny bits。 But I would say the majority of the book is actually fairly serious， and frankly I am now depressed about my future。 Thank you to NetGalley & Kensington Books for this advanced reader copy。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Susan
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