Between A Rock And A Hot Place: Why Fifty Is Not The New Thirty (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
There's a saying out there in the world today: Fifty is the new thirty. And Tracey Jackson couldn't disagree more. In Between a Rock and a Hot Place, Jackson explains why fifty is not the new thirty. In fact, fifty is the new fifty. It's not our grandmother's fifty and it's not our mother's fifty, but it's our new fifty.It's hard to review a book like this without giving away some personal details. So I will admit that I hit a big milestone at the beginning of February. I turned 40. I'm a decade away from 50 but I could definitely relate to several of the chapters in this book. Menopause is something I think about a lot, and the chapter about that was both informative and funny. I also could relate to Jackson's thoughts on mammograms since I had my first last year ~ and just got the letter in the mail saying I'm due for another one this month. And I have similar memories of my grandmother in her 50s with the tight, gray curls and weekly visits to the salon! Definitely different than my mother at 50 and I much different than what I expect I'll be like at 50!I found it interesting that Jackson had her first child at 32, as I did, so like her, my son will be heading off to college the year I turn 50. I read that chapter with a lot of interest since I'll be going through the same issues dealing with my first-born leaving home at the same time that I'm dealing with all the changes that go along with turning 50. I also remember my mother's experience turning 50, and it was not good.Unfortunately, Jackson lost me when she got into plastic surgery and Botox. An entire chapter is dedicated to this topic, and while I guess I'd consider having work done someday, I just couldn't relate. At 40, I'm pretty happy with my face so it's hard to imagine it would be so bad that I'd be willing to go through what she's gone through! I do color my hair though, and will not change that. I'd be gray at 40 if I didn't color it, and I'm not okay with that. But I honestly felt she was a bit condescending to those women who make the choice to forgo having any "work" done.Overall, this was an interesting memoir to read at my age. I think anyone from about 40 to 60 would enjoy it. Maybe even older ~ I may pass it along to my mom. I'm not sure anyone under 40 would be able to really relate completely. And I will warn readers that this is not just a funny book. There are funny aspects, but there are plenty of serious topics covered as well. Why am I reviewing a book that makes you feel like you have to reveal your age to defend your opinion of the book? I thought this was going to be funny. I guess that's what I get for checking a book out of the library before reading the reviews. The author can be funny and the beginning of the book was better, but she should have stuck to the humor instead of trying to give advice.
What do You think about Between A Rock And A Hot Place: Why Fifty Is Not The New Thirty (2010)?
Botox and fillers and "OMG hormones made me crazy and men leave older, crazy women," ad nauseum.
—ssaldanita
