The Back Nine

In 1982, Doug Manning wrote his first book dealing with the issues and decisions to be faced with aging loved ones, When Love Gets Tough. He was fifty-years-old at the time and wrote from the experiences he had dealt with as a pastor, a counselor and with his own family. He brought a great deal of wisdom and power to the conversation about determining the best and healthiest path for caring for those who need care. It has been a best seller for InSight Books for over thirty years. Now, in his eighties, Doug is living those choices and those issues. He has found that too many people of his generation are becoming defeated by the frustrations of an aging body and mind and are just waiting until the end without purpose or a plan. So now he writes from the other side of those decisions and the adjustments and accommodations that must be made. He was asked to conduct a series of meetings for a group of seniors at a local church. From those presentations and questions from the group this book was born. He learned that everyone in that room was scared, confused and angry at the limitations that they felt from growing old. His premise for this new book is that everyone can make choices as to how to face living the final years of life, and he provides practical and personal suggestions for taking charge and living with intention, no matter the age. Doug improved upon the first edition of this book by returning to expand one of the chapters for this second edition.This book is perfect for anyone who is facing these same challenges or for families who are trying to be a support for an aging loved one. It can be used for group discussions in senior centers or senior ministries. It can give hope and help to those who think their best days are behind them.