2 out of 4 stars
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Francis T. Sganga is a vibrant nonagenarian who remains physically and mentally active despite being nearly a century old. In his book, A 95-Year-Old Man's Path to Living Longer and Better, Mr. Sganga shares the secrets to his longevity and lasting stamina. The book is divided into five parts, in which the author discusses the physical, mental, spiritual, and moral aspects of living a long and healthy life.
This is not your typical book on health and wellness. While Mr. Sganga talks about the expected topics of diet and exercise, he also stresses the importance of being "moral and intellectually challenged," as well as having an appreciation for the miracle of life. In fact, much of his book is spent convincing the reader--mostly using scientific evidence--of how miraculous life truly is. As I read these chapters, it was clear to me that Mr. Sganga's good health has been largely due to his outlook on life and his thirst for knowledge.
I enjoyed reading the first four parts of this book, as they contained quite a bit of information on a myriad of topics. I also found the author's personal stories to be quite interesting, and I was impressed by the sheer amount of research that Mr. Sganga has conducted in his spare time. Although the book did not contain a bibliography, Mr. Sganga was careful to credit each of his sources within the applicable chapters.
But despite its strong points, there are some problems with this book. Foremost, the formatting of the book initially made it difficult to read. There are no spaces between the paragraphs, quotes, and poems that make up the chapters, which gives the pages a jumbled appearance. I did eventually adjust to this formatting, but I had some difficulties in the beginning. Also, I could tell that the book was not professionally edited. The writing is not bad, but there are plenty of typographical errors.
I am also sorry to say that the fifth and final part of the book was a disappointment. Sadly, this portion can best be described as a tirade in which Mr. Sganga criticizes the government, major corporations, and society in general. The tone here was angry and bitter, which was a radical departure from the more positive tone of the previous chapters. While I don't mind being exposed to the socio-political views of others, even when those views differ from my own, I don't believe that it was an appropriate topic for a book on health and wellness. In fact, I don't understand why Mr. Sganga saw fit to include this portion in what was an otherwise delightful book.
Although A 95-Year-Old-Man's Path to Living Longer and Better has many enjoyable aspects, its shortcomings have prompted me to give it a rating of 2 out of 4 stars. The final portion really weighed the book down, and I believe that the formatting would be a nuisance to many readers. However, I would still recommend this book to those who are curious about how to improve their health and outlook on life.
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A 95 Year-Old Man's Path to Living Longer and Better
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