The Glow Code: A Cheat Sheet for Feeling, Looking, and Being Your Best at any Age

Journalist McIvor presents a comprehensive and chatty guide for “aging gratefully” that addresses such topics as skin care, body acceptance, sleep, creativity, and makeup application. When turning 40 brought wrinkles, back pain, and “burning questions about aging,” the author sought out “experts, trailblazers, and maverick thinkers” for advice tailored to women in midlife. An exercise psychologist’s recommendation to prioritize muscle health spurred her to adopt a high-intensity interval training routine that “added two pounds of muscle” and increased her energy. Other experts recommended she conduct a friendship “audit,” motivating the author to reconnect with a long-lost friend, let go of an unhealthy relationship, and prioritize existing bonds. McIvor has a journalist’s curiosity and a penchant for the nitty-gritty, which proves an advantage in the detailed lists of skin-care products and step-by-step instructions for such tricky matters as comforting someone who’s grieving, and a detriment in her exhaustive exercise diaries—not everyone will be interested in the daily accounting of breakfast, mood, and muscle mass percentage. Still, her message that women need not have it all figured out by the time they hit 40—and that they’re not vain for caring about fashion, beauty, or creative passions—resonates. Middle-aged women will find this a valuable resource. (June)