MSI Press Blog

  I have a one-word description after reading Women, We’re Only Old Once! by Bertha D. Cooper…Wowza! Recently, Readers' favorite posted three reviews of Women, We're Only Old Once. All were 5 stars. Here is a peek: by Tammy Ruggles ...  This isn't a book to make you feel down, it's actually very uplifting and validating. Besides the positive side, Cooper also delves into the harder parts of getting older--rites of passage we all go through if we're fortunate enough to live that long, like losing loved ones, how to deal with changes in body and mind, and illness, as well as what to do about the practical things in life, like preparations, paperwork, and important decisions. Women can be a tremendous support system for one another. Women, We're Only Old Once by Bertha D. Cooper should be your go-to resource for yourself or a friend if you want to make the most out of aging and make peace with it. by Edith Wairimu Women, We're Only Old Once by Bertha D Cooper e...

Recently received a very nice review of Women, We're Only Old Once  ( Bertha Cooper ) by Barbara Bamberger Scott (quite a tough reviewer, in our experience). From the review: " In constructing this lively guide to women's aging ... [that] covers vital information for all women in older years... Cooper bravely takes on complex issues like sexuality in older women, the sense of dread women feel at the possible loss of a partner, and strategies for planning new, post-retirement lifestyles. Whether standing at the brink of a certain age and facing the implications of the next phase of life or fully immersed in its quandaries, Cooper's readers will welcome her intelligent and empathic guidance. Read the full review HERE . Women, We're Only Old Once , just recently published, is already an award-winning book: Best New Voice in Health and Fitness, Kops-Fetherling International Books Award

  What is a book jewel? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Starting in August, we will share near-daily, as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is  Women, We're Only Old Once  by Bertha Cooper. Amazon review by CK - Active aging travelogue! As the author states "we begin aging the moment we are born"...so why not be an active participant? Aging IS normal, and Ms. Cooper presents descriptions and footsteps on a path to follow. People steer clear of aging conversations (except when we complain about our health) because it's not usually an encouraging or exciting topic, and most of us dread t...

  When a woman loses her spouse, she often steps into a chapter that is both tender and formidable — a stretch of years that can span a decade or more. Statistically, women live 10–15 years longer than their husbands. But those years are not simply an epilogue; they are a distinct season of life, rich with its own rhythms of grief, adaptation, and rediscovery. 💔 The First Quiet The early months after loss are marked by disorientation — the sudden absence of shared routines, the silence where conversation used to live. Even simple acts — making coffee, folding laundry, locking the door at night — become reminders of a vanished partnership. This is the threshold , where memory and reality begin to negotiate their coexistence. 🌿 The Middle Years As time passes, many widowed women find themselves rebuilding around new anchors: Community: Friendships deepen, and new ones form through volunteering, faith circles, or shared interests. Purpose: Some return to long-set-aside passions —...

  Excerpt from  A Movie Lover's Search for Romance  - HENRY, OR PATHETIC CRUSH #2 Just as my crush on Adrien Brody began to wane, I began crushing on Henry. Henry, as in Henry Cooper, direct descendent of James Fennimore Cooper, who wrote the well-known classic, The Last of the Mohicans. Henry Cooper, of the Coopers of Cooperstown. Until I met Henry, I’d never actually heard anyone who sounded like George Plimpton. I thought that high, guttural, WASP accent was an anachronism, like hula-hoops and the Ed Sullivan Show. If Henry was not the highest of high WASP, he would be a parody of rich Americans. But Henry is the real deal. He has piles of the Social Register stacked casually around his living room, along with old copies of The New Yorker , for which he once wrote. Henry is my father’s friend. They went to Andover together in the late ’40s and early ’50s. My father is not high WASP. Dad is the product of four Eastern European Jewish grandparents, each of whom travele...

  Frailty isn’t a single moment — it’s a slow drift that begins when the body stops being challenged and the mind stops being engaged. It’s not inevitable, but it is progressive if left unchecked. Understanding when it starts and how to delay it gives women (and men) the power to shape their later years with strength rather than fragility. 🕰 When Frailty Begins Frailty can start as early as the mid‑60s , though subtle signs often appear in the 70s : slower walking speed reduced grip strength fatigue after minor exertion unintentional weight loss loss of confidence in balance These are not “normal aging” — they’re early warnings that the body’s repair systems are underused. 📉 When Frailty Becomes Unavoidable There is a point when frailty becomes biologically inevitable — usually in the late 80s to early 90s , when cellular repair slows dramatically and muscle regeneration nearly halts. Even then, the degree of frailty varies widely. A person who has trained strength, eaten well,...