CHECK IT OUT

While you may never be able to stop the clock, dozens of mental and

physical health gurus provide advice for slowing its progress in a host

of library resources.

Among the newest additions to the literature on aging is “Dr. Murray’s

Total Body Tune-Up,” by the coauthor of the hugely popular “Encyclopedia

of Natural Medicine.”

In his new work, Michael Murray, a prominent doctor of naturopathy,

outlines a plan to adjust the major organs of the body using nutrition,

vitamins, herbs and the body’s natural drive to heal itself.

According to alternative medicine authority Gary Null, there’s much

you can do to stop wrinkles and gray hair, keep eyesight sharp, end

fatigue and improve memory. Find out how to reduce these signs of aging

and to use the mind-body connection to conquer stress and depression in

“Gary Null’s Ultimate Anti-Aging Program.”

Aging well is living well on physical, social and psychological

levels, say aging experts Dr. Jeanne Wei and Dr. Sue Levkoff of Harvard

Medical School. In “Aging Well: The Complete Guide to Physical and

Emotional Health,” the gerontology specialists offer advice on everything

from self-care strategies to housing options, long-term care and

end-of-life decision making.

Equally comprehensive is “The Practical Guide to Aging,” an anthology

by experts in a variety of fields, assembled by Dr. Christine Cassel, Mt.

Sinai Medical Center, chairwoman of geriatrics. Chapters on law and the

elderly, financial security, living arrangements and medical ethics make

this a handy reference for both casual reading and solving specific

problems.

The urge to prolong youth has inspired numerous attempts to fool

Mother Nature. You can read about age-defying strategies ranging from

injections and hormone cocktails to gene therapy in “Cheating Time.”

Whether or not you believe you can impact aging, this is an entertaining

read by professor of reproductive biology, Roger Gosden, who weaves

anecdotes, historical vignettes and trivia into a lively treatment of the

biology of growing older.

Managing your professional life is an important part of aging, and you

can uncover career-related advice that bursts many stereotypes in “Don’t

Stop the Career Clock.” Find a seven-year plan complete with charts and

questionnaires designed to help you reach the satisfying work you want in

this blast of optimism for 40-plus boomers.

If you can’t beat it, accept it. That is the message of “Still Here:

Embracing Aging, Changing and Dying,” by spiritual teacher Ram Dass.

Featuring a philosophy of growing older aimed at diminishing suffering

related to the aches and limitations of age, this work is heavily

influenced by Buddhist and Eastern teachings that remind us how we can

create value for ourselves despite the effects of the 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

Andrea Jason. Titles may be reserved by accessing the catalog at o7

www.newportbeachlibrary.orgf7 .