This Fall, KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, will present 2nd Half of Life, a six-part series airing weekly on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. beginning October 8 and running til November 12. Created for one of the best-educated, healthiest and most privileged generations in American history -- the Boomers -- the series aims to help people reinvent life after the age of 50.
Life (Part 2) – "Intergenerational"
Hit the streets to find out what annoys babyboomers about 20-somethings — and vice versa. Then, social psychologist Jane Adams, Tamara Erickson and Yankelovich president J. Walker Smith illuminates the differences between the baby boomer generation, Gen X and Gen Y and discusses how to bridge the generation gaps.
Life (Part 2) – "Money is Love"
Whether it’s your parents’ wills or your kids moving back home, money can be a thorny issue. Financial planner Ross Levin, social psychologist Jane Adams and economist Chris Farrell, a regular contributor to Fortune and NPR, discuss how to be smart about financial issues within your own family.
Life (Part 2) – "Spirituality and Aging"
Are Americans truly becoming more spiritual as they age – and are they sincere, or just hedging their bets? Rabbi Marc Disick, Rev. James Forbes, and psychology professor Susan McFadden discuss the evolving spiritual lives of the Baby Boomer cohort. Then, Robert Thurman, Columbia Professor and Buddhist monk, makes the case for meditation and enlightenment in everyday life. Plus, Air America radio personality Lionel has a bone to pick with the touch-y feely side of aging.
Life (Part 2) – "The Science of Happiness"
Asks Americans of every age what makes them happy. Then, a man who taught the most popular class at Harvard, positive psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar (The Pursuit of Perfect: How to stop Chasing and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life), author John Cacioppo, and geriatrician Kevin Fleming explain what makes us happy changes as we grow older – and how to grow a bit happier with every decade.
Life (Part 2) – "Brain Exercise"
Robert Lipsyte learns about brain fitness technology and competes against some younger opponents to find out whose mind is in the best shape. Then biological psychiatrist P Murali Doraiswamy, cognitive neuroscientist Denise Park, and psychiatrist / author Gary Small explain the best ways to keep our brains in peak condition.
Life (Part 2) – "Mechanics of Aging"
Meet a professor whose students build “empathy suits” that give students new insights into how it feels to be older.Then, media giant Martha Stewart details her campaign to improve geriatric care in America. And New Yorker contributor and comedy writer Patricia Marx explains the stages of life—with the help of a bowl of fruit.
The Retirement Revolution: The New Reality
The months since Spring of 2008 have not been kind to the American economy or to the retirement accounts of millions of Americans. From light-hearted stories on self-defense and second careers to solid advice about money, health and Medicare, this documentary features experts who analyze the financial problems of retirement and demonstrate ways to richer, healthier, retirement years.
Life (Part 2) – "Encore Careers"
Playing gold all day might sound like a good idea…until you actually try it. That’s why Baby Boomers are busy re-inventing retirement with rewarding “encore careers.” Chris Farrell, Richard Leider (The Power of Purpose: Creating Meaning in Your Life and Work) and J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich, explain how increasing numbers of Americans are finding fulfilling work later in life.
Life (Part 2) – "Should I Stay or Should I Go"
If you decide to retire — or turn to part-time work — should you “stay or go”... that is, should you move or stay in the community where you’ve lived your whole life? Dr. Robert Kane (It Shouldn’t Be This Way: The Failure of Long-Term Care,) David Savageau (Retirement Places Rated: What You Need to Know to Plan the Retirement You Deserve) and Temple University professor Nancy Henkin discuss how Baby Boomers are finding new ways — and places — to retire.
Life (Part 2) – "Ethnicity, Race & Aging"
How do different communities treat their older populations? Dr. Jerry C. Johnson, senior fellow at Penn’s Institute on Aging, Melvin Delgado, professor of social work at Boston University and Giang T. Nguyen, assistant professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania enlighten us about the many ways we age in a diverse society.
Life (Part 2) – "Survive and Thrive"
While some crumble in the face of adversity, others survive and even thrive — what makes them different? Mayo Clinic physician and cancer survivor Stephen Kopecky, Kate Braestrup (Here If You Need Me, the story of surviving Widowhood,) and clinical psychologist Cheryl Gore-Felton explain how survivors bounce back from crisis.
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