Can the library lengthen your life?

Looking for that elusive elixir for long life? While there’s no

fountain of youth at any Newport Beach Public Library, dozens of new

resources can help add health and happiness to your years.

Just added to the shelves is Norman Anderson’s “Emotional

Longevity: What Really Determines How Long We Live.” In a departure

from the traditional view of physical health, the CEO of the American

Psychological Assn. explains how economic, spiritual and emotional

factors affect well-being. In his compelling volume, he explores why

optimists often have optimal blood pressure, how good relationships

protect against heart disease and why religious observance is linked

with longevity.

Jeanne Wei and Sue Levkoff present similar messages about

maintaining a good quality of life in “Aging Well.” Focusing on

physical, mental and emotional issues, these Harvard Medical School

professors present a prescriptive guide to the maturing body and

mind. Separate chapters on individual systems of the human body, as

well as sections on living options and anti-aging therapies, provide

an overview of what to expect in the second half of life.

For the folks of Okinawa in the South Seas, that half of life

typically extends into a ninth and 10th decade. Read how residents of

a tropical archipelago steer clear of osteoporosis, memory loss and

cancer in “The Okinawa Program.” Based on a 25-year study by Bradley

and Craig Willcox and Makoto Suzuki, “The Way” includes a four-week

plan incorporating diet, exercise, stress management and spiritual

connectedness.

Theory can only go so far in explaining the aging process. For a

more personal view, turn to Phyllis Greene, who became a first-time

author at 82 with “It Must Have Been Moonglow: Reflections on the

First Years of Widowhood.” In her new work, “Shedding Years,” the

Wellesley grad explores challenges of the senior years with an

uplifting look at the fastest- growing segment of our population.

Other personal reflections are in Edgar Bronfman’s “The Third Act:

Reinventing Yourself After Retirement.” In his lighthearted take on

how people such as Walter Cronkite, Jimmy Carter and Katharine Graham

faced lifestyle changes, a former Seagram’s CEO offers tips for

enjoying life after retirement.

Beyond mental preparation, you can explore how to amass gold in

your golden years with “America’s Best Low-Tax Retirement Towns.”

Find a ranking of 163 metropolitan areas, including “tax heavens,”

“tax hells” and profiles of 99 top retirement towns, in this work by

Eve Evans and Richard Fox.

Before you finally step away from the working world, check out

Stan Hinden’s “How to Retire Happy.” With advice about 12 complicated

decisions, from when to apply for Social Security to how to invest

and what to do about health insurance, this could be your best

insurance for gilding your golden years.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach

Public Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams in

collaboration with Steven Short. All titles may be reserved from home

or office computers by accessing the catalog at www.newportbeach

library.org.