Psychiatrist Gordon Livingston presents 30 truths about life and human relationships he has gleaned from more than 30 years of experience listening to his patients' trials and tribulations. Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart addresses the nature of personal success and the many ways to avoid the entanglements of self-imposed unhappiness. From serving in Vietnam to experiencing the deaths of two children, Livingston has faced life at its most difficult and emerged to share these lifeaffirming truths: we are what we do; only bad things happen quickly; the statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood traumas. These and other hard-earned truths are presented in clear, compelling prose sure to change the lives of readers everywhere.
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"I really enjoyed this book - some very profound insights. The author has gone through some very traumatic experiences - which in some cases I feel takes away from the purpose of the book. Regardless, this is one of those books you could read more than once and continue to get something from it."
— 6ena (4 out of 5 stars)
" I wanted this book to be fabulous, but it fell a bit short of my expectations. It's basically comprised of 30 short chapters, each one a treatise on one of 30 "truisms" that Dr. Livingston has discovered through his life's work and experience. Within a span of 13 months, he lost two sons--one to suicide and one to leukemia. He speaks from a unique viewpoint, a cross between grieving parent and pragmatic psychotherapist. Some of the more interesting chapter titles were: "The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood traumas;" "Any relationship is under the control of the person who cares the least;" "If the map doesn't agree with the ground, the map is wrong;" and "The major advantage of illness is that it provides relief from responsibility." Livingston speaks in a frank, earnest voice. I appreciated much of what he said, but by the end of the book, I was ready for something new. "
— Arryn, 2/17/2014" I underlined so much I can't loan mine out. Really like his no nonsense style. Wish I'd learned some of these lessons sooner. "
— Mary, 2/9/2014" Life's lessons revisited. If only the knowledge gained from mistakes could be learned without the mistakes. "
— Jason, 2/5/2014" Lots of insight for those who are dealing with depression and/or anxiety, or for those who work in the helping profession. I would say this is a bit of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" reading for anyone who needs some motivation. "
— Celestthebest, 1/29/2014" It helped me through a tough break-up. Really insightful. "
— Kacey, 1/22/2014" 30 top things we all need to learn and utalize in order to gain the most out of the remainder of our lives, no matter how little time we think we might have, there is always something here to impliment for a better understanding of others and ourselves. "
— Wonlyn, 1/19/2014" i am never to old but it took me to long to get smart "
— Lina, 1/19/2014" Loved this book. Read it and reread it. Strip away your excuses for unhappiness, take responsibility for yourself, and start taking action for a better life. "
— Keith, 1/19/2014" Very thought provoking. Wish I read it when I was younger - great info. "
— Melodia, 12/28/2013" A Hard Look At life and the wisdom and kindness of ones life. A must read. "
— Ben, 12/6/2013" loved this book. the title is a phrase my dad has often said. "
— Deb, 11/14/2013Gordon Livingston, MD, a graduate of West Point who was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in Vietnam, is a psychiatrist and writer who contributes frequently to the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Baltimore Sun. He has also been featured on Why Not? with Shania Twain, which aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He lives and works in Columbia, Maryland.
James Jenner is an actor known for Very Good Girls, Enemy Territory, and Third Watch.