Gli anni migliori

by Jane Fonda, Alessandra Petrelli (Translator)

Attrice, scrittrice, pioniera del fitness, Jane Fonda insegna a dare e ad avere il meglio in tutte le fasi della propria vita e in tutti i suoi aspetti: amore, sesso, alimentazione, forma fisica, autostima, spiritualità e relazioni sociali. Raccontando episodi tratti dalla sua vita e presentando i risultati delle più recenti ricerche scientifiche, Jane Fonda dimostra che l'età da sempre considerata «critica» - gli anni fra i 45 e i 50 e poi dai 60 in avanti - sia in realtà la fase della vita in cui possiamo realmente mostrare il nostro io più energico e autentico, aperto all'amore e agli altri. Attraverso la descrizione di 11 ingredienti fondamentali per vivere, Jane Fonda invita a vivere una vita più ricca di significato, più piena, più in armonia con il nostro corpo, la nostra mente, il nostro spirito, i nostri amici?Con due semplici ma illuminanti metafore, descrive due visioni radicalmente diverse della vita: da una parte l'arco, in cui immaginiamo la nostra vita protesa verso un culmine e poi in continua discesa; dall'altra la scala, in cui ogni gradino rappresenta un guadagno per se stessi. La vita media si è incredibilmente allungata: come possiamo valorizzare questo dono che ci è stato dato? Come possiamo superare quei momenti bui che ci capita di attraversare, traendone profitto? In questo libro troveremo consigli per mantenerci nella migliore forma fisica, per seguire un'alimentazione corretta, per imparare sempre nuove cose che ci mantengono giovani con la mente e con lo spirito. Le persone sono molto più felici nella seconda parte della loro vita di quanto non riescano a essere prima, parola di Jane Fonda!

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Biography, Feminism, Health, Memoir

508 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Jane Fonda is a two-time Academy Award-winning actress (Best Actress in 1971 for Klute and in 1978 for Coming Home), author, activist, and fitness guru. Her career has spanned over 50 years, accumulating a body of film work that includes over 45 films and crucial work on behalf of political causes such as women’s rights, Native Americans, and the environment. She is a seven-time Golden Globe® winner, Honorary Palme d’Or honoree, 2014 AFI Life Achievement Award winner, and the 2019 recipient of the Stanley Kubrick Excellence in Film Award as part of BAFTA’s Britannia Awards. Fonda is currently in production for the seventh and final season of Grace & Frankie, which will be Netflix’s longest running original series. It is for her work on the series that she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2017. She was last seen on the big screen in Paramount’s comedy, Book Club in which she starred alongside Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, and Candice Bergen. Fonda also premiered Jane Fonda in Five Acts, a documentary for HBO chronicling her life and activism, at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The documentary received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special in 2019. Jane celebrated her 80th birthday by raising $1 million for each of her nonprofits, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential and The Women’s Media Center. Currently, Jane is leading the charge on Fire Drill Fridays, a national movement to protest government inaction on climate change. Her latest book, “What Can I Do? My Path From Climate Despair To Action,” details her personal journey with the movement and provides solutions for communities to combat the climate crisis, will be released on September 8 via Penguin Press.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Fonda's Prime Time is a good introduction to the topic of living healthy and wealthy and wise in our Third Act.

I didn't have the intense reaction to Jane Fonda that the reviewers on Amazon.com had. Regardless of her role as Hanoi Jane, you can check this book out of the library for free if the author's lifestyle and early antics rub you the wrong way.

It's a good book. I'm also reading The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup and will review this other book when I'm done.

I'm only 47 yet I do recommend Prime Time as a good introduction to the joy of keeping fit and active in our Third Act.

Like Andrew Weil, MD does, Jane Fonda recommends learning new languages as we get older to keep mentally sharp.

Love her or leave her alone. It's a good book.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Jane Fonda. I like the spirit and the main rationale of the book, which is that the later parts of life have a lot more years that they used to, we can use those years to do all kinds of things, and there is plenty we can do to keep ourselves fitter, more comfortable, and more engaged.

However, Jane is, bluntly, a know-it-all. She has been at every stage of her life, and does that annoying thing of: I didn't know it all back then, but now I do. At every stage. Now she knows it all about diet, exercise, sexuality, finance, meditation, relationships (and self-reliance), and wisdom. If someone didn't have access to the internet or to any other books written by actual "experts" on these subjects (few of whom agree on many points), maybe this book would help that person. I admit I skimmed through some of those sections, because, well, they were boring and nothing new. Picking and choosing her information on these subjects skews the advice to what she feels works for her. Which is not a bad criterion, but she talks as if her advice is scientific fact and applies to everyone. I especially hated her advocacy of HRT.

Jane's anecdotes about people who are doing good things or having good attitudes are kind of nice, until you notice that they are all at least upper middle class and incredibly dynamic, charismatic people. That is not typical of the readers. At least, it's not me.

[Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite different than the "My Life So Far" book. It is not a memoir but a great guide and reference book for living your life. There is so much in this book, from health and fitness to estate planning and retirement. This book has it all and I will be referencing it often.

[Kathleen Hagen]

Prime Time: Love, Health, Sex, Fitness, Friendship, Spirit - Making the Most of All of Your Life by Jane Fonda, Narrated by Jane Fonda, produced by Random House Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

Jane Fonda in her latest book gives us a view of what she has learned about life in the ten years since she wrote “My Life So Far.” Jane is now over 70. She narrates the book herself, and while she still has that vibrant spark she has always had, she does sound like she’s getting older. Covering sex, love, food, fitness, self-understanding, spiritual and social growth, and your brain, Prime Time offers a vision for successful living and maturing. Highlighting new research and stories from her own life and from the lives
of others, Fonda explores what she refers to as “the third act”-life beyond 60. She shows us, that with thoughtful planning, it may be the best act of our life. She includes resources and five appendices laying out many things, such as exercises, to help us get started. It’s very good.

[Ethan Fleck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not totally sure what to think of this one. It is catered more towards someone closer to "Act III" as she refers to often in the book, but yet I really picked up a lot of good things out of this. I think it's a good read for anyone because it gives you perspective for wherever you are at in your life. It's also a bit catered toward women, so there were definitely some parts I chose to skip over..All in all, It makes me excited for that stage in my life, and its a great reminder that I am only just beginning this beautiful thing called life.

[Susan Ritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for every smart woman over 60. Really great practice al info on nutrition, exercise, community involvement as they apply to aging well. Great chapters on sex for seniors! Jane makes the Third Act something to actually look forward to. Eve. If you think you don't like Jane (I think she's grand!) this book is worth your time, ladies!

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it - Jane Fonda is so open and comprehensive. She will not let age slow her roll or yours! This got me thinking a lot about how the next 2 acts of my life will go.

"Newly discovered anecdotes like these gave me confidence and made me feel I had some good qualities after all, that I wasn't just the lazy, foolish girl my father seemed to see me as. The faint outlines of a brave, resilient, honest little girl began to emerge and I realized that I liked her even if her parents hadn't seemed to be too interested."

"This was an important lesson. The understanding that other people have lives and problems you know nothing about. Their behavior is not all about you."

"Time, therapy, and a decade of psycho-pharmalogical assistance during the end of act 2 allowed me to mostly banish my depression to a corner. Oh it lurks there still, trying occasionally to send out negative 'who do you think you are?!' scenarios that I refuse to read."

"I looked ahead and saw no future beckoning. Yet I had to plow onward. I had a family, organizational responsibilities and myriad other duties. Besides, it's not as though I knew what was going on. What was I going to say to those who depended on me? I don't know why but I just feel like I'm disappearing, like I'm getting all blurred around the edges. They would have thought I was mad. And in a way I was."

"'If I just keep moving' I'd always thought 'nobody including me will notice that I'm stuck. Maybe.' But as Suzanne Braun Levine, who writes extensively about women's issues, has said, 'the cure for stuck is still'."

"We are what we do. Life can be taken away without death. We can let depression, self-pity, resentment, and grumpiness fossilize us so we're not of much use to anyone. But why short-change ourselves now of all times?"

"If architects want to strengthen a decrepit arch they increase the load which is laid upon it for thereby the parts are joined more firmly together." (from Victor Frankel)

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently started listening to the Wiser Than Me podcast where Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks to older women about their lives. Jane Fonda was the first guest on the podcast and I found that she did have some nuggets of wisdom pertaining to health and wellness as we age. Therefore, I decided to pick up her book, Prime Time, from the library.

In Prime Time, I really liked how she described our lives as three acts, the first 30 years, the middle 30 years, and the last 30 years. This book primarily tackles the third act, age 60 and beyond. Instead of viewing aging as a decline, she views aging as continued development. It really is a refreshing perspective. She encourages people entering their third acts to do a life review as you can't know how to go forward if you don't know where you've been. There is a chapter on doing a life review, but I would have liked a little bit more guidance on this process. The book was published in 2011 and I found some of the nutrition advice to be a little bit outdated, but overall I felt that this was a comprehensive guide to aging well that still has relevant information 13 years later.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the first part of this book, where she talked about conducting a life review before starting what she calls our "third act," or the final third of our life, roughly age 60 and beyond. When she did her life review, she was about the same age I am now, and I thought this really is a great time to reflect on our lives, take stock, and imagine what we want the "third act" to look like. It's a hugely transitional time, so why not do it well, purposefully and intentionally.

After that, the book got into basically every aspect of human life and how to manage that well in our older years. She goes really in depth on nutrition, exercise, sex, meditation, friendships, etc. It got to be TMI at times, and the thought occurs that it's a little weird to get all of this physical, mental, and emotional health info from a celebrity. But it seems that she's really done her homework. With every topic, she covers the scientific info and her own personal experience. She's very matter of fact about all of it, and that's refreshing.

[Donna Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say after reading this that I am now looking forward to my senior years, for the very first time. I have dreaded getting old but Jane puts it in perspective; let go of your ego and enjoy the third act of life.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a different perception of what this book would be like. 1st, its written in 2011 so in 2021 its a bit dated. Made it hard for me to relate to when so many references were old ways of thinking or outdated technology references. Secondly, I thought this would be more of a true memoir. Jane definitely shares stories of her life - I viewed the book to be more of a “how-to” guide on how to age well into our 3rd act as she calls it. A few good take-aways but frankly I could not wait to be done with this book.

[Beth Harbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half of the book and various chapters thereafter. I didn't find her "preachy" as another reviewer wrote, but I found parts to be tedious and laborious. Not to mention talking about things I already knew. But, it was obvious she spent a lot of time thinking about and researching what she wrote.

[Gabrielle Cunha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremamente frustrada com esse livro! Esperava que fosse a Jane contando a história da vida como ativista/atriz e no fundo é um guia para o ato III (como ela chama) da vida.

Não sou de abandonar livros, então li na esperança que me trouxesse algo (estou expert em sexualidade da mulher na terceira idade, risos), mas não fez sentido pra mim. Quem sabe em 30 anos?

[Imene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good subject, a lot to share about it. I find her very inspiring but I couldn't get past her writing.

[Kristina Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest reflection on aging that makes you appreciate your years to come. Plus, I just love Jane Fonda.

[Donna Pachota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

So timely for me as I get older. There is hope!!! I enjoyed this book so much and found I t held p ful.

[Behrooz Parhami · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I wrote this review on May 10, 2012, and posted it to GoodReads on May 10, 2022.]

I listened to the unabridged audio version of this title (on 10 CDs, read by the author, Books on Tape, 2011).

The focus of this book is on how we can become energetic, loving, and fulfilled people as we reach and surpass our grandparenting age. If what Fonda wrote in her pervious memoirs, My Life So Far, constitutes Acts I and II in the play of life, this book covers Act III. Fonda provides advice to the elderly on how to live happy, fulfilling lives into their 80s and 90s.

Jane Fonda is far from universally loved as a celebrity. Her personal choices during her youth and middle age, including multiple marriages to a string of powerful men, are often frowned upon. She acknowledges her mistakes and attributes them to her insecurity as a woman, stemming in part from her troubled relationship with her father, the actor Henry Fonda. Though she was not abused herself, Fonda was apparently scarred by abusive relationships in her family.

The following quote, taken from a Newsweek magazine article (issue of August 22 & 29, 2011) about Fonda, is quite revealing and representative of the author’s frame of mind as she wrote this book. “I’ve been accused of being too flexible, too willing to mold myself to men … That transitional stage of the late 40s and early 50s, that was really hard, but now I finally feel like I’m really becoming myself. … It’s hard for women at my age in Hollywood, but I’m not discouraged … I know what I want from my third act … I’ve already done a lot of what I want to do, and finally, after all this time, I know where I’m headed.”

The book contains both broad-brush spiritual guidance and the nuts-and-bolts of daily life when we are no longer as energetic, dexterous, and flexible as we were in our youth. Alongside tips on health monitoring and nutrition, Fonda provides a good deal of frank talk (that some people may find unsettling), about companionship and sexual relations that is particularly useful to single women during their third acts.

Fonda finds much joy in aging and counsels enjoyment of our accumulated wisdom, freedom from caring for others, and relative financial comfort, instead of fretting over the things we can no longer do.

[Karin Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not that this book says anything new about how to stay healthy as you age, but the book was very well-written and very comprehensive. Fonda, who is over 80 herself, didn't do a half-assed job just so she could get a book out there. She carefully assessed her own life, including deficiencies, and set out a heart felt book about doing your best to ensure the senior years aren't just a sorrowful look back on what one can't do any more.

The book is easy to relate to for those over a certain age because we came from similar experiences. One might think that Jane Fonda always had it all, but her experiences as far as self-definition within the patriarchal world prove otherwise. Like so many, she had a difficult father whom she adored, but his lack of emotional connection caused her confidence and image problems. (He mom committed suicide, which was not really discussed.) She then grew up to enter the world of objectification and admits to succumbing to what many of us believed our roles to be: being defined by the men we were with and succeeding only if we kept them happy, even at the expense of ourselves. Fonda talked about the necessary changes that she made during her life and how self-definition is often an ongoing battle -- especially as we age.

Fonda's advice is not unique: We must "practice" for being older at a younger age. We have to accept that looks, body, and brain will go, and we must prepare for how we will adjust as that starts to happen. This may mean adjusting diet, relationships, work we do, and the physical activities we engage in. It may mean putting grab bars in the shower before we need them, and not pushing ourselves too far either physically or mentally. It may mean doing new things just to keep our brains supple even though we don't really want to do anything but sit and watch tv. In short, Fonda says (accurately) that aging well is a lot of endless work with continuous adjustments.

Nothing staves off mortality, and there are both physical and mental reasons why some people just can't work on aging well. But for those who can, Fonda presents a good blue print.

[Gaby Meares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Fonda’s message is clear and positive: getting older doesn’t have to be a steady decline into dotage!

She views life as being divided into three Acts: Act I, the first three decades; Act II, the middle three decades, and Act III, the final three decades.

She uses two metaphors to illustrate the different ways we can see our life span: one is an arch, where life begins with childhood on one side, the top of the arch representing mid-life and then a decline into infirmity; the other is a staircase, showing ‘our potential for upward progression toward wisdom, spiritual growth, and learning’. I know which diagram I aspire to!

Prime Time was written in 2011, so parts of it are now dated. I pretty much cherry-picked the bits I found inspiring and disregarded the rest. She is, after all, a white, privileged, wealthy woman who can afford to make many decisions the rest of us don’t have the luxury to make. However, there are some tips that can be embraced by us all, including a series of exercises in the Appendix which I personally have found very helpful.

Her message is simple: as we enter Act III of our lives, we don’t have to disappear and become obsolete. We can, in fact, continue to grow and lead a vibrant and relevant life, if we so choose. As she says, ‘death is a democratic inevitability for every one of us. In my opinion, there’s something worse than death, and that is never having fully lived’.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found most of this book interesting and informative even though at 23 I'm probably not necessarily the target reader. I like Jane's writing style as I often feel I can 'hear' her in it and it will be familiar if you've read her autobiography.

While reading this I spent a lot of time telling my parents random things about how to keep your mind and body intact into your "Third Act". I made dinner for them with whole grain pasta rather than white pasta based on what I read in this book. I also found myself making smarter choices when buying food at the supermarket (buying a wider colour range of vegetables) and arranging with my sister to go to the gym together a few times a week. In this way the book has definitely made me more mindful.

I found the content about sex and intimacy for seniors interesting but can definitely say I wouldn't have sought it out on my own. I laughed through some of it but nonetheless felt enlightened by it. Meanwhile, the stuff about spirituality, an inward focus and Christianity towards the end of the book wasn't for me. I don't mind being lectured on health and physical fitness by THE Jane Fonda but the connectiveness to a spiritual realm is probably more relevant as a personal journey.

I'll definitely refer back to it for the physical activities illustrated at the end of the book.

[Carla Sarmento · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu já tinha lido o livro “Minha vida até aqui” que Jane Fonda escreveu quando tinha 60 anos. Ela apresentou as possibilidades da vida no que chamou de “Terceiro Ato”. Ou seja, o que fazer com os anos que foram acrescentados às nossas vidas, já que a expectativa de vida vem aumentando. Gostei muito! Tem até um TED dela sobre esse assunto.
Dessa vez, eu li “O Melhor momento” que ela escreveu quando tinha 72 anos. Um pouco mais completo e com muitas referências sobre todos os aspectos relacionados ao envelhecimento. São apresentados temas como amor, vida social, positividade, generatividade (eu não conhecia isso), suas emoções e até questões financeiras.
Algumas partes são cansativas, mas mesmo assim, merecem a reflexão.
Achei um pouco desnecessário o anexo com dicas de alimentação e atividades físicas como um manual.
Muito interessante o capítulo que ela descreve como e porque aprendeu a meditar.
Atualmente Jane Fonda está com 84 anos e continua linda e plena. Na apple TV tem uma série chamada Dear com um episódio sobre ela. Recomendo muito!

[Amina Mirsakiyeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I got this book after a TV seria Grace and Franky. Its about two ladies in their 70s, whos husbands made coming out, divorced with ladies and got married to each other. Grace and Franky start to live together to support each other. And meanwhile we see how many problems agins has.

This book is actually about those problems. If the TV seria funny and easy-going, then here Fonda discusses all aging problems pretty serious. And I found that this book would he useful to young people too. She talks about health, for instance, bringing different studies as reference. How many people know effect of sport on brain functions? Or which vitamins should be combined? Thats an example of health topics in this book

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane is now over 70 and she narrates the audio book herself which made it interesting to me. She covers sex, love, food, fitness, self-understanding, spiritual and social growth, and your brain, etc. so I thought it was all good information. She has interviewed lots of professionals over her lifetime, so I enjoyed hearing their perspectives. As an actress that has tried to slow the hands of time, she has much more access to these type materials than a normal person does - so I thought that was interesting.

She refers to 60-90 as “the third act”. She describes that with thoughtful planning, it may be the best act of our life. It’s good. Parts of it were a little weird too. :)

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Fonda is so much like the characters she plays but this....?! There is HOPE... or at least a chance to improve the dire commentary associated with aging. Jane speaks frankly with the quotes from a "few friends" that I admire. Jane tends to be bossy, as I hear her voice, in college, keeping my body in shape.... BUT I am planning a BRIGHT future as I approach Prime Time. So I "listen" and agree on many points. I, like Jane, question the "can't" of my doctors and this book offers "options" in areas seldom discussed. I am more holistic so, I like the options discussed.

I don't agree with Fonda spiritually but health, sex, etc.... worth a second thought.

[Nonnagee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough about this book. I have always been a bit ambivalent about Jane Fonda, her politics etc., but I have to say that she did her homework on this book. For those who have criticized her on this platform I would remind you that most of the information shared in this book was researched and developed by experts in the field of aging. Claiming that she is and always has been a "know-it-all" really doesn't apply. Personally, I found this book to be incredibly uplifting and it is my new bible, and as a person who has begun her Third Act, there are so many take-aways to apply going forward. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

[Nicole Ediss · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the time of this reading, I am only 43, but the information in this book will be so important to know later in life (god-willing) that I am so happy I read it now. This book is basically a manual for old age. No, a manual for thriving in old age in the sectors that most people feel old age takes from you.
Also, if you listen to the audiobook, you get to hear Jane Fonda say penis pump. Win-win.

Some topics she covers:
- outdated perceptions of aging
- perceptions of the seasons (or acts) of life
- fitness for old age
- diet for old age
- dating again
- sex and how to regain it
- finances for old age
- retirement, or post retirement work
- dying

[Asimina Michaelides · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am reading this book at 48 this summer and it is very inspirational for me. I don't know why all the negative reviews. Yes she does quote other scientists and studies, but that all makes it more legit. If one wishes to read more on a particular topic, they know where to look.
I've always admired women like Jane Fonda. Women who keep thriving and don't give up due to their age. I am grateful that I got to read her book on these important topics, I feel more uplifted than before, more prepared to try my best and make the most of the years to come. I just love the way she thinks about aging and how she is sharing her life's tips with us.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bit of a memoir, but it is also a how-to book for seniors. Jane Fonda has divided her book into various sections and writes about the different areas to be concerned with when getting older, including dating for singles, divorced and the widowed, and keeping the brain active, especially by learning new things and educating oneself, physical exercise and health, and friendships. I like when she also includes personal anecdotes. Jane Fonda seems to have a very good attitude about the aging process and I did enjoy reading her book very much.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was just excited to listen to a book by Jane Fonda, but really interesting content about late life, which I havent read much on at all. There isn't much recognition of the fact that her enormous wealth is a significant contributor to her quality of life at this age, and the nutrition section definitely reads like its written by someone recovering from a lifelong eating disorder, but overall this is a really well researched and compiled resource

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book as an audiobook. It was very nice to hear it in Jane Finda’s voice. Obviously, as an actor she speaks very well. I enjoyed her personal additions to the book. She cites a lot of research and numbers. I can’t help but think she had the help of someone else to write this book.
I feel bad for saying that but it seems written by a researcher or scientist in many cases. She may be far more educated than I credit her. Her name will always be a draw to read her book.