The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly: Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-01-21 10:51:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Margareta Magnusson
- ISBN：1982196629
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Summary
From New York Times bestselling author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning， a book of humorous and charming advice for embracing life and aging joyfully。
In her international bestseller The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning Margareta Magnusson introduced the world to the Swedish tradition of döstädning， or “death cleaning”—clearing out your unnecessary belongings so others don’t have to do it for you。 Now， unburdened by （literal and emotional） baggage， Magnusson is able to focus on what makes each day worth living。 In her new book she reveals her discoveries about aging—some difficult to accept， many rather wondrous。 She reflects on her idyllic childhood on the west coast of Sweden， the fullness of her life with her husband and five children， and learning how to live alone。 Throughout， she offers advice on how to age gracefully， such as: wear stripes， don’t resist new technology， let go of what doesn’t matter， and more。
As with death cleaning， it’s never too early to begin。 The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly shows all readers how to prepare for and understand the process of growing older and the joys and sorrows it can bring。 While Magnusson still recommends decluttering （your loved ones will thank you！）， her ultimate message is that we should not live in fear of death but rather focus on appreciating beauty， connecting with our loved ones， and enjoying our time together。
Wise， funny， and eminently practical， The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly is a gentle and welcome reminder that， no matter your age， there are always fresh discoveries ahead， and pleasures both new and familiar to be encountered every day。
In her international bestseller The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning Margareta Magnusson introduced the world to the Swedish tradition of döstädning， or “death cleaning”—clearing out your unnecessary belongings so others don’t have to do it for you。 Now， unburdened by （literal and emotional） baggage， Magnusson is able to focus on what makes each day worth living。 In her new book she reveals her discoveries about aging—some difficult to accept， many rather wondrous。 She reflects on her idyllic childhood on the west coast of Sweden， the fullness of her life with her husband and five children， and learning how to live alone。 Throughout， she offers advice on how to age gracefully， such as: wear stripes， don’t resist new technology， let go of what doesn’t matter， and more。
As with death cleaning， it’s never too early to begin。 The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly shows all readers how to prepare for and understand the process of growing older and the joys and sorrows it can bring。 While Magnusson still recommends decluttering （your loved ones will thank you！）， her ultimate message is that we should not live in fear of death but rather focus on appreciating beauty， connecting with our loved ones， and enjoying our time together。
Wise， funny， and eminently practical， The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly is a gentle and welcome reminder that， no matter your age， there are always fresh discoveries ahead， and pleasures both new and familiar to be encountered every day。
Reviews
Marissa
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5/5 stars
Christa
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Cute little 141 page fast read from a well traveled octogenarian。 She wrote about “death cleaning” in a previous book。 It’s the process of getting rid of your junk。 She has a great attitude toward life。 She raised 5 children on three continents。 She’s an artist and now an author and has a great sense of humor。 I enjoyed the read。
Lizzie
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I don’t know what this says about me， but I prefer her book about Swedish death cleaning。
Karen Foster
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Charming and quirky， but nothing ground breaking。 But still think the notion of ‘death cleaning’ is just brilliant。
Zara
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Charming and also stressful。 I wish I was a little more Swedish （maybe？） about aging， or， really， contemplating my parents aging and eventually dying， but I’m just not （yet）。
Sherry
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What a delightful work！ Some great advice and not just for aging folks。 A very easy read Sprinkled with lots of humor！
Holly Taggart
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I feel a little unkind， giving an octogenarian a 3 star review， but here it is。 This book is kind of fun， and all of the author’s stories are very charming， interspersed with some advice on aging well。 Her stories have a life of their own， and sometimes don’t seem entirely connected to the bit of advice， but， there we are。 Unfortunately it rather hit me that it has been remarkably easy for this woman to age exuberantly。 She married well- to a husband who had a high powered job that allowed the I feel a little unkind， giving an octogenarian a 3 star review， but here it is。 This book is kind of fun， and all of the author’s stories are very charming， interspersed with some advice on aging well。 Her stories have a life of their own， and sometimes don’t seem entirely connected to the bit of advice， but， there we are。 Unfortunately it rather hit me that it has been remarkably easy for this woman to age exuberantly。 She married well- to a husband who had a high powered job that allowed the family to live abroad for multiple years and she has the benefits of the Swedish health care system， as well as remarkable earnings from her first book。 When the author experienced a fall and fractured pelvis- she simply arranged for a stay at a skilled nursing facility with no concern for the cost- as she had a stockpile of earning from her successfully first book。 This is not the typical situation for many adults who are growing older，Much of the advice is - in general - practical， I’ve applied to my work day as I move from room to room。 But after reading this， I’ve concluded that the secret to aging exuberantly is to actually age with a lot of readily available cash！ 。。。more
m
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3。5
Amanda
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Even though the author’s advice is simple and this is a little bit of a an advice giving memoir， I could definitely see how this would be beneficial for those who are looking for a short story that is slightly different from other nonfiction。
Laina Johnston
，
I really enjoyed reading Swedish Death Cleaning by this author and I equally enjoyed Aging Exuberantly。 Margareta shares some gems from her own extraordinary long life and exhorts readers to take stock of their own place in the world and to use the time left to them in the best ways possible。 This is a short read that left me feeling hopeful about aging exuberantly。
Margaret Gerberding
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This is a very practical book about aging。 The chapter on balance is a must read！
The_J
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Over 80 years and a bunch of continents I suppose one has the opportunity to find some wisdom。 Some trinkets are displayed here。
NovelNancyM
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Perhaps because my great grandparents emigrated from Sweden， I found this to be an absolutely delightful book。 The author is in her 80s and she's looking back on her life dispensing wisdom from her point of view。 This is her follow-up to The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning， which I had not read。 She includes an appendix entitled Bonus Thoughts and Tips on Death Cleaning。 Perhaps because my great grandparents emigrated from Sweden， I found this to be an absolutely delightful book。 The author is in her 80s and she's looking back on her life dispensing wisdom from her point of view。 This is her follow-up to The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning， which I had not read。 She includes an appendix entitled Bonus Thoughts and Tips on Death Cleaning。 。。。more
Vee
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Not so much a guide but a lovely book of anecdotes from someone who has lived well， if admittedly， not ideally。 We should all approach aging with as much grace， humor and practicality。
Carol Moore Kollar
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Written during the isolation of covid， this is a quick and funny read on aging。 I am looking forward to reading her first book （The Art of Swedish Death Cleaning） which she touches on in this book。
Zhuo Zhang
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Small tips to keep alive！
Rebecca
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（3。5） Magnusson， who is Swedish， either wrote this in English or translated it herself for simultaneous 2022 publication in Sweden and the USA – where the title phrase is “Aging Exuberantly。” There is some quirky phrasing that a native speaker would never use， more so than in her Döstädning: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning， which I reviewed last year， but it’s perfectly understandable。The subtitle is “Life wisdom from someone who will （probably） die before you，” which gives a flavour of （3。5） Magnusson， who is Swedish， either wrote this in English or translated it herself for simultaneous 2022 publication in Sweden and the USA – where the title phrase is “Aging Exuberantly。” There is some quirky phrasing that a native speaker would never use， more so than in her Döstädning: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning， which I reviewed last year， but it’s perfectly understandable。The subtitle is “Life wisdom from someone who will （probably） die before you，” which gives a flavour of 89-year-old Magnusson’s self-deprecating sense of humour。 The big 4-0 is coming up for me later this year， but I’ve been reading books about ageing and death since my twenties and find them valuable for gaining perspective and storing up wisdom。This is not one of those “hygge” books hailing the virtues of Scandinavian culture， but rather a charming self-help memoir recounting what the author has learned about what matters in life and how to gracefully accept the ageing process。 Each chapter is like a mini essay with a piece of advice as the title。 Some are more serious than others: “Don’t Fall Over” and “Keep an Open Mind” vs。 “Eat Chocolate” and “Wear Stripes。”Since Magnusson was widowed， she has valued her friendships all the more， and during the pandemic cheerfully switched to video chats （G&T in hand） with her best friend since age eight。 She is sweetly optimistic despite news headlines; after all， in the words of one of her chapter titles， “The World Is Always Ending” – she grew up during World War II and remembers the bad old days of the Cold War and personal near-tragedies like when the ship on which her teenage son was a deckhand temporarily disappeared in the South China Sea。Lots of little family anecdotes like that enter into the book。 Magnusson has five children and lived in Singapore and Annapolis， Maryland （my part of the world！） for a time。 The open-mindedness I’ve mentioned was an attitude she cultivated towards new-to-her customs like a Chinese wedding， Christian adult baptism， and Halloween。 Happy memories are her emotional support; as for physical assistance: “I call my walker Lars Harald， after my husband who is no longer with me。 The walker， much like my husband was， is my support and my safety。”Volunteering， spending lots of time with younger people， looking after another living thing （a houseplant if you can’t commit to a pet）， turning daily burdens into beloved routines， and keeping your hair looking as nice as possible are some of Magnusson’s top tips for coping。An appendix gives additional death-cleaning guidance based on Covid-era FAQs; the chapter in this book that is most reminiscent of the practical approach of Döstädning is “Don’t Leave Empty-Handed，” which might sound metaphorical but in fact is a literal mantra she learned from an acquaintance。 On a small scale， it might mean tidying a room gradually by picking up at least one item each time you pass through; more generally， it could refer to a mindset of cleaning up after oneself so that the world is a better place for one’s presence。Originally published on my blog， Bookish Beck。 。。。more
Robin
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Second book by the author of "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning。" The first book felt more related to a Swedish custom; this second book is more chatty essays about aging in general。 The author has lived an interesting life as an artist and now writer， with five children， and residing on several continents。 Her suggestions for a more vibrant life: volunteering， connecting to other people， and keeping an open mind。 Second book by the author of "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning。" The first book felt more related to a Swedish custom; this second book is more chatty essays about aging in general。 The author has lived an interesting life as an artist and now writer， with five children， and residing on several continents。 Her suggestions for a more vibrant life: volunteering， connecting to other people， and keeping an open mind。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
I picked up this book because I was a fan of “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”。 It was such a fun and quirky twist on the decluttering book trend and I loved the unique voice of the author。 It had a pretty repetitive message （get rid of your junk so your loved ones don’t have to deal with it）， mixed in with enough light humour and anecdotes about her life that you didn’t mind。This book has more of the same with each chapter providing a tip for aging and bunch of stories loosely related I picked up this book because I was a fan of “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”。 It was such a fun and quirky twist on the decluttering book trend and I loved the unique voice of the author。 It had a pretty repetitive message （get rid of your junk so your loved ones don’t have to deal with it）， mixed in with enough light humour and anecdotes about her life that you didn’t mind。This book has more of the same with each chapter providing a tip for aging and bunch of stories loosely related to that tip。 It came off more like a memoir with anecdotes forced into （often odd） themes。 While in the first book I enjoyed hearing the small details of her family and the death cleaning she has done while dealing with loss， I found most of her stories raising her large and very privileged family （sailing， horseback riding lessons， transcontinental trips and moves） difficult to relate to and uninteresting。 It made me think that perhaps this book is part of her own death cleaning; to pass these stories that mean something to her down to her children and grandchildren。 For a casual reader who enjoyed the first book， it’s all boring personal details， a bit of humour， and no real substance。 I was going to give it one star or stop reading， but I kept going for the promise of some more quirky tips and question answered on death cleaning which she promises in the prologue。 In the Appendix and “bonus thoughts” at the end， she delivers:“You could be dead tomorrow。 We all could - but should you really make others suffer because you were too lazy to sort your stuff， even during weeks of months of a quarantine？ If you didn’t death clean during the virus - what is your excuse？”I know it’s more of the same， but this kind of no-nonsense writing is what I came for and redeems the book a bit in my eyes。 I definitely won’t be reading this book again， but it ended up a high note。 。。。more
Joni Greenwell Bycroft
，
Quick little read - and very sweet。 My favorite quote - and I want to remember it， is; "I have to admit， I have not been open minded all the time。 I just wish I had been。" Quick little read - and very sweet。 My favorite quote - and I want to remember it， is; "I have to admit， I have not been open minded all the time。 I just wish I had been。" 。。。more
Jake Larson
，
I really enjoyed her writing style and the content of the book I just wanted more
Bev
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Short， sweet， and dotted with words of wisdom on how to enjoy the remainder of life。
wellreadtraveler
，
I came across this author on the publishers Instagram。 They were featuring her on different days showing her make a gin and tonic，another day she was walking around her home showing her chocolate supply， just two days ago they showed her putting on 5 or 6 of her stripped T-shirts all at once。 All of these things being her favorites， and it was a great introduction to who she is and what to expect in her newest book。 The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly is essentially a Marie Kondo type of book b I came across this author on the publishers Instagram。 They were featuring her on different days showing her make a gin and tonic，another day she was walking around her home showing her chocolate supply， just two days ago they showed her putting on 5 or 6 of her stripped T-shirts all at once。 All of these things being her favorites， and it was a great introduction to who she is and what to expect in her newest book。 The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly is essentially a Marie Kondo type of book but with lots of silly stories and reasons why you need to do， say， eat， be who you are to live the greatest and happiest life you have。 Eat the chocolate， reread your favorite book， dress how you want， speak your mind， just do what brings you joy or there’s no point， it seems silly we’d need to remind ourselves of these simple things but we get caught up in life and tend to forget。 What you don’t want to do as you age is hold onto a log of “stuff”。 Stuff that your family will have to go through when your gone so why not start doing it now。 Make a rule anytime you bring something new in something old must go。 Go through your closets and get rid of the excess， things you haven’t worn and know you never will。 Maybe it’s more sentimental items and you can decide which items you would like to keep and others maybe you can give to family members。 I feel like I’m always spring cleaning but I would definitely like yo lighten my load and not feel like I’m held down by stuff。 Looks like I’ll be doing some cleaning soon！ 。。。more
Kristi Kasper
，
This book was short and sweet！ On the short side of things， finishing this 100 pager definitely gives you an immediate feeling of accomplishment so early into the year。 This pithy book doesn’t lack substance， it is thoughtful and sweet。 The book is a compilation of essays that convey what events， actions and emotions have brought joy and comfort to the author over the course of her life。 She shares tidbits of advice for living your best life through anecdotes and memories， just lovely。 I just ma This book was short and sweet！ On the short side of things， finishing this 100 pager definitely gives you an immediate feeling of accomplishment so early into the year。 This pithy book doesn’t lack substance， it is thoughtful and sweet。 The book is a compilation of essays that convey what events， actions and emotions have brought joy and comfort to the author over the course of her life。 She shares tidbits of advice for living your best life through anecdotes and memories， just lovely。 I just may read it again。 。。。more
Cynthia
，
Thank you Margareta Magnusson for this book as well as The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning。You have both confirmed what I believe about aging and taught me it’s time to start cleaning up messes at my age！
Jordan Martin
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Entertaining read。 Felt like I was listening to stories/life lessons told by my own grandmother。
Gina
，
This was not what I was expecting！ I was expecting a practical guide of sorts。 Alas it is really 14 statements bolstered by a personal story （or two） to serve as an example。 The idea "keep an open mind" doesn't require an explanation。Something about the writing style didn't work for me。 When I read her first book， either the writing was different， or I was in a different frame of mind。No doubt that this is a sweet book， but it didn't grab or hold my interest。 And 2023 is the year of DNF-ing anyt This was not what I was expecting！ I was expecting a practical guide of sorts。 Alas it is really 14 statements bolstered by a personal story （or two） to serve as an example。 The idea "keep an open mind" doesn't require an explanation。Something about the writing style didn't work for me。 When I read her first book， either the writing was different， or I was in a different frame of mind。No doubt that this is a sweet book， but it didn't grab or hold my interest。 And 2023 is the year of DNF-ing anything that feels like a chore to read。 I'm not in university。 My reading is for pleasure， not to fulfill syllabus requirements。 。。。more
Susan
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Entertaining， but not much included that I/ we are not already doing。 Basically， enjoy your life and don't worry about that age number。I read this book while waiting for my turn at the library for another of her books。 Entertaining， but not much included that I/ we are not already doing。 Basically， enjoy your life and don't worry about that age number。I read this book while waiting for my turn at the library for another of her books。 。。。more
Virginia
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Disappointing since rehash of book Swedish Death Cleaning with little to do with aging and too much of author’s reminiscing。 Only a few humorous bits。
Olivia Evans
，