Learning how to age gracefully

A review of Ilemobayo Ehinmosan’s book, Graceful Ageing (A Compendium of Divine, Natural and Scientific Principles for Longevity) by Adekunle Olatumile.

Human beings by their nature are mortal. The process of death starts from the moment a baby is conceived in the womb to the day he/she breathes the last. Hence, it is appointed unto men once to die (Hebrew 9:27) and so death is inevitable.

Man is not created to die young as evidenced in the great books and expounded by different religions; for example, the Holy Bible gave the benchmark of between 70 and 120 years as the lifespan of man in this age.

To ensure  longevity for mankind, mother nature has provided resources for sustaining it: We have resources like potable water, clean air, sunlight, fertile land, forest resources, fruits and vegetables, herbs for medical care, fishes and animals for consumption. With all these resources in place and utlised moderately, man is expected to live a long and healthy life. Based on experience and observation in recent time, can we say man has been living a reasonably long and healthy life? The answer will probably be in the negative.

The United Nations 2021 data on life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was about 60.87 years. More specifically, this figure equaled to 59 years for males and 63 years for females.

According to the United Nations, life expectancy at birth in Nigeria is among the lowest in Africa, as well as in the world.

It is against this background that the author came up with the book. The 276-page book is published in Akure by Stebak Books and Publisher in 2021, and the ideas therein are presented in 16 chapters.

In the book, the author chronologises the trend of longevity in the Holy Bible down to our forefathers, then to the present generation.

The author cites and borrows from various sources to marshal his position. He quotes copiously from the following sources – The Holy Bible, books and journals, for example, Awake Magazine, Tribune Newspapers, etc, journalists and columnists, men of God, among others.

The author acknowledges and references the sources and authors of the materials, hence, the book is devoid of plagiarism.

The author provides definition and explanation of concepts and also presents balanced judgment in his position on issues. On pages 134-139, the author identifies family members as probable agents of early death.

He explains ways by which husbands kill their wives and by which wives kill their husbands. This is a deviation from the primordial bias among Ikale peope that when a man dies, the wife in most cases is accused of being responsible for the death, whereas when a woman dies, the husband is never accused of being the cause, even if it is glaring that the husband is remotely responsible.

The author is also humorous in his narratives, for example, on pages 65 and 66, he gives the narrative of a lady who is complaining about her big breasts and asking for drugs she can use to reduce the size so as to be attractive to men.

The book is replete with pragmatic counseling, suggestions and admonition, such that as a reader adheres to them, they will definitely enhance his good health and longevity. He also successfully provides education directed at combating the two main factors that impact on morality and longevity. These are diet and lifestyle

Therefore, for mankind to live a healthy and long life, there is need to put a lot of factors into consideration – spiritual, physical, denial, attitudinal, psychological, sociological and philosophical. The author has presented these in clear, lucid, poignant and explicit terms.

The author deserves commendation. His pedigree in academic, legal profession, public service, religious life and community service has imbued him with a great deal of life experiences and this, coupled with hardwork, he has presented himself as a prolific writer who does not put pen on paper just for the sake of writing, but writes on themes and issues that shape mankind and human society.

I, therefore, recommend this book to anybody who wants to live a healthy and long life.

• Professor Olatumile is of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State.

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