From a well-regarded gerontologist, a book that provides an informative, uplifting guide to growing older. Dr. Burnight addresses so many of the common things that happen as we age, like financial and health problems, family issues, dementia, and social isolation. She focuses on having an excellent quality of life, even in the midst of problems. She calls it the Joyspan -- which are the older years that are lived joyfully. This is very inspiring and practical. I look forward to recommending it.

JOYSPAN: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF THRIVING IN LIFE'S SECOND HALF
BY: KERRY BURNIGHT

DR. KERRY BURNIGHT has written a comprehensive, new Non-fiction book which highlights that growing older doesn't have to be dreaded, as the multi billion dollar industry that profits over focusing on products that commercialize in promoting youth. As part of the cycle of life it's inevitable that we all if fortunate live an extra generation longer. This book emphasizes that our inner lives if we keep expanding our lives in four crucial key concepts as we grow older we can continue to thrive. While other books on aging focus on Life span, and Health span, she focuses on our quality of life as "JOYSPAN." she begins the book talking about her experience as a Gerontologist, who has some pretty impressive credentials, which I'll specify later in this review. She provides the reader with examples of her 96 year old mother, named Betty who embraces the four key concepts, and is thriving. She then goes one step further, by giving the stark differences of her two grand mothers, with how one at the age of 64, had a negative outlook on aging, and her other grandmother who was her Maternal grandmother who had the opposite outlook, which was positive, and who she remembers fondly since she was always upbeat. The grandmother that was 64 years old who had a negative attitude this author remembers visits where she couldn't get through them fast enough. As opposed to her Maternal grandmother that was not afraid of aging, this author remembers fondly as her grandmother would go for walks every day at 7:00 AM, would tell this author that if she wanted to go with her to be on time, otherwise she would go by herself, and this author was never late since she enjoyed spending time with her. Then this Author, poses the question to the reader asking us to consider given the two examples, which one of her grandmothers would we prefer to be remembered
for, or which grandmother is how we would like to be remembered? That is a pretty profound question that got me thinking, and stuck in my memory.

This short but important book is formatted in three parts, or sections which she introduces, in the beginning which I thought would give you clarity about the content.

PART I WHY YOUR JOYSPAN MATTERS:
Chapter 1: What Is Joyspan? Chapter 2: How Your Joyspan Affects Your Lifespan. Chapter 3: How Your Joyspan Affects Your Healthspan.

PART II WHAT STRENGTHENS YOUR JOYSPAN: Chapter 4: Grow With Joy. Chapter 5: Connect To Joy. Chapter 6: Adapt With Joy. Chapter 7: Give With Joy.
(These are the Four Pillars That I said above need to be Embraced, in order to thrive in growing older).

PART III HOW TO CREATE YOUR JOYSPAN: Chapter 8: Filling Your Joytank. Chapter 9: When Your Joyspan Dips. Conclusion: The Joyspan Legacy.

This Author is qualified to write about the quality of your life mattering the older you get. There is a difference between happiness and joy. People ask all the time what is this Author's 96 year old mother named Betty's Secret? Betty lives on her own, is as sharp as a tack, belly laughs with friends, and never forgets a birthday card or a condolence card. But Betty has never been Particularly athletic, and enjoys dessert, sips the occasional cocktail, and is the first to admit she didn't always have the best attitude when she was younger. So how is she thriving in her older years?

This author who is a gerontologist has spent decades researching the factors that enable people to thrive in the second half of their lives. In this book, "JOYSPAN," this author shares the proven strategies that have helped Betty maximize well-being in longevity. And these strategies will help you do the same.

When we talk about longevity, we often focus on lifespan--how long we live. Or Healthspan--how many of those years are spent in good health. This author asks and answers in this book the following question. What's the point of a long, healthy life if you're not enjoying it? That's where "JOYSPAN," comes in --the key to a FULFILLING long life. It's more than just physical health; it's about growing and creating internal strength--the ability to grow, and connect, adapt, and give. As geriatrician Dr. Louise Aronson observes , "We've added a couple of decades , essentially a generation , onto our lives, and we haven't figured out how to handle that. It's not enough to have a long lifespan and healthspan , this author has come up with a scientific approach, mixed with anecdotes of what she calls "JOYSPAN."

WHAT IS JOYSPAN?
Joyspan is the experience of well being, and satisfaction, in longevity. The American Psychological Association defines "JOY" as the feeling that arises from a sense of well being or satisfaction. Experiencing Joy is different from feeling happy. Happiness comes and goes and is often dependent on external circumstances. Joy can be experienced even in adverse situations. More akin to contentment than to ecstasy, joy may show up in the form of a smile, but many times it does not. You cannot always ascertain someone's joy by observing them. JOYSPAN brings to light the robust research findings on psychological well-being, which are too often tucked away in academic journals. This book is what you need but have been missing.

To thrive in old age means to live a fulfilling, purposeful, and satisfying life despite the challenges that accompany aging. It involves maximizing physical health, cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, social connections, and a sense of meaning. Thriving doesn't mean being free of all health problems or challenges; rather it emphasizes resilience, adaptability, and the ability to find joy and value in life. People don't thrive in longevity by good luck or mistake. People who thrive in longevity actively maximize the quality of their lives. But how? What does the research say about HOW to thrive in life's Second half? As a gerontologist this author has scoured the findings of 35 years of empirical testing on psychological well-being in longevity. She's drawn from research that has taken place around the globe from experts. That's what you'll find in reading this gem of a non-fiction Self Developmental book whether you are young, or at any age. Whether you're dealing with aging parents or anybody that's in your family that is dealing with getting older. There's an incredible amount of research based on positive information that will benefit all from reading this.

Publication Date: August 5, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Kerry Burnight, and Worthy Publishing, Worthy Books for generously providing me with my wonderful ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own, as always.

#Joyspan #KerryBurnight #WorthyPublishing #WorthyBooks #NetGalley

This is hands down the best book I've read on aging and living your best life. There are plenty of interesting anecdotes, including many references to the author's amazing 95 year old mother Betty. There is advice, but it reads more as an idea book. Its focus is how to grow, how to connect, how to adapt, and how to give. Because I've read many books on aging I don't often come across new material Joyspan is the exception. It was fresh and inspiring from the first page to the last.

I loved the opportunity to have early access to such an inspiring book. As a woman in the second half of my life, I found the information presented to be very uplifting. I could relate to the different scenarios presented. My grandma lived to be 100, and I would say she had a great balance. During her aging process, she had health struggles, but she was always very positive and very connected socially. Then my mom, on the other hand, hasn't had the health struggles, but is lacking on the social side, and you can see the impact that has had on her. It is encouraging to know that it is not too late to change things up if needed, to pivot if you will.

Lately I have seen an explosion of books about "the second half of life." The theme usually revolves around how it isn't too late to follow your dreams, achieve your goals, re-invent yourself, etc. Nothing wrong with that---the fact that people are living longer and dealing with the challenges and stereotypes of aging, as well as women now being more vocal about menopause, has led to a demand for books that address this topic. But to be honest, the choices can be overwhelming, and I thought this book was just "more of the same." No, this one is a little different.

Known as "America's Gerontologist," Dr. Kerry Burnight is medically qualified to discuss the specific challenges of getting "older" and the importance of the "Joyspan" of our lives, which is more important than our lifespan. As she states, longevity is only 25 percent genetics and 75 percent lifestyle, and throughout the book she discusses how "keeping our joy tank full" greatly improves our quality of life and mental health. She devotes an entire chapter to each of the four elements of the Joyspan grid--Grow, Connect, Adapt and Give--and takes you through specific ways to incorporate these into your daily life. My favorite part of the book is the section on "daily check-ins" and suggestions for what to do when you start feeling tired, foggy, down or "when you're not sure what the problem is, and you just feel blah." With loneliness and isolation the top two causes of poor mental health as we age, she offers concrete suggestions to foster better relationships and make new ones. Her personal stories about her own experiences, her parents, grandparents and friends, adds the perfect personal touch to this guide for getting older.

If you or someone you know is fearful of the aging process or "dreads getting old," this is a must-read. Oh, and she gives one admonition that I just have to share, because we've all done it: "Don't call an old person "cute;" as she says, many see it as patronizing and offensive. Also, stay away from those greeting cards that make fun of being "over the hill." This is a subtle sign of our culture's disdain for the aging process. And don't get her started on the beauty industry...

If you’re an entrepreneur who spends your days thinking about growth, scalability, and the grind, it might be time to think about joyspan.

In her new book, Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half, Dr. Kerry Burnight introduces a compelling new framework for what it means to live well, not just long. While the book is aimed at readers in midlife and beyond, its insights resonate far beyond age brackets. In fact, for solopreneurs, startup founders, and purpose-driven creatives, Joyspan may be one of the most important mindset books you’ll read this year.
What Is “Joyspan”?

Dr. Burnight, a seasoned gerontologist and professor, builds upon two familiar terms: lifespan (how long you live) and healthspan (how well you live). But she adds a third term—joyspan—which she defines as the length and quality of time you spend thriving.

Unlike fleeting moments of happiness, joyspan is about sustainable well-being: purpose, vitality, contribution, growth, and connection. It’s a more holistic way of evaluating how you’re living, not just how long.

For entrepreneurs, this idea can be revolutionary. So much of startup culture is rooted in burnout: hustling harder, sleeping less, scaling fast. But if your business succeeds and you’re miserable, is that really success?
The Four Pillars of Joyspan

Burnight organizes her approach around four pillars:

Grow
Adapt
Connect
Give

Each of these has direct applications to the founder’s journey:

Grow: Business growth starts with personal growth. Entrepreneurs need to learn constantly, pivoting when markets shift, upskilling when roles evolve, and embracing lifelong learning as a core operating principle.

Adapt: Things break in business. The ability to bounce back, not just operationally, but emotionally, is essential. Adaptability isn’t just strategic; it’s a way to maintain your sense of joy when the external metrics aren’t in your favor.

Connect: Founders often feel isolated, especially in solo ventures. Joyspan emphasizes the deep health benefits of social connection, real, human relationships, not just LinkedIn followers.

Give: Burnight argues that contribution fuels vitality. Entrepreneurs who tie their businesses to a cause or mission greater than themselves often find they’re more energized and resilient over the long term.
Why Joyspan Matters for Entrepreneurs

Burnight didn’t write a business book, but what she presents is, in many ways, a philosophy of sustainable leadership. Entrepreneurs tend to build businesses that reflect their internal state. If you’re burnt out, that seeps into your brand, culture, and customer experience.

By intentionally cultivating joyspan, whether you’re 35 or 65, you build a business that sustains you, not just one you have to sustain.

Joyspan’s tools and practices include self-assessments, habit prompts, reflection exercises, and simple daily habits that guide readers toward small, compounding changes. These “Joy Practices” are where the rubber meets the road: they’re accessible but impactful.
Joyspan and Ikigai: A Strategic Alignment

One of the most interesting connections is the overlap between Joyspan and the Japanese concept of ikigai. Both frameworks revolve around finding deep purpose at the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what sustains you.

While ikigai focuses on philosophical alignment, Joyspan brings in practical tools rooted in behavioral science and positive psychology. Entrepreneurs who reflect on both frameworks may find a clearer path to designing a life, and business, that doesn’t burn them out, but builds them up.

Want to know if your current hustle aligns with your joyspan? This book helps you ask better questions.
Practical Takeaways

Here’s what entrepreneurs will find especially useful in Joyspan:

A lens for evaluating your business model: Are you building something that supports your well-being, or drains it?
Clarity on your purpose: Burnight’s exercises help reconnect you to the “why” behind your work, not just the “how.”
Tools for resilience: Whether you’re between funding rounds or managing your first hire, Joyspan offers practices that build emotional endurance.
Ideas for company culture: The principles of Connect and Give can directly inform how you shape your workplace, even if it’s just you and a laptop right now.

Final Verdict

Joyspan is not just a book for people thinking about retirement or aging. It’s a call to live and build with intention. It’s about structuring your life, and your business, around the things that truly matter.

If you’re an entrepreneur, solopreneur, creative, or purpose-driven leader, Joyspan offers a framework for staying in the game longer, with more joy and less regret.

It belongs on your shelf next to Atomic Habits and The Psychology of Money, books that help you do work that matters, in a way that sustains you.
Recommended For:

Founders reevaluating their work-life balance
Business owners over 40 looking to thrive, not just survive
Creatives looking to avoid burnout
Anyone seeking to align values with ambition

Burnight reminds us that thriving is not a luxury, it’s a design choice. And Joyspan is the blueprint.

Joyspan, by Dr. Kerry Burnight, is a call to action; an inspiration to improve the quality of life as one ages - whether we are looking for guidance as we age or are looking by to help a loved one on this journey. "In a world obsessed with living longer, Joyspan is about living better" in our later years. The choices we make, and our ensuing actions, improve our Joyspan and our overall health as well. The author incorporates her "Joyspan Matrix" into her writing, to show the elements of our life we can improve through Growth, Connection, Ability to Adapt, and Giving of Ourselves to Others. The thoughts and ideas she shares are both practical and anecdotal, as well as scientific and prescriptive.
Thank you to NetGalley for the Advance Read. I found it very helpful and inspiring.

Joyspan is a refreshing and uplifting guide to aging well—focusing not just on living longer, but on living better. I appreciated the relatable writing style and how clearly the author explained ideas that you can easily apply to your own life and use to support those around you. With practical advice and heartfelt stories, the author offers us simple tools to stay connected, curious, and fulfilled as we age. This book was right up my alley, getting me to really think about my life and how I want to live it. It’s an empowering read that I’ll be recommending to friends. It changed how I see aging—both for myself, others around me and my parents. Great Read!

Thank you to the book’s publisher and NetGalley for the ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

I truly appreciated the message of this book. Living a happy and healthy life is becoming more important to me as I age. The topics shared were helpful.

Unfortunately, I did not like the audiobook narration and could not finish. I likely will pick up a print copy, and will update this review at that time.

3 out of 5 stars and my respects to the author and narrator.

I love the premise of this book. Within the first two pages, Dr. Burnight puts it right in front of us. “What’s the point of a long healthy life if we’re not enjoying it.” Using her own mother as her first example, she tells us that enjoying your life is not a matter of genetics or luck. There are many upsides, and things I needed to be reminded of. The only downside is that it has struck me as a little repetitive.

Burnight uses her own mother for many examples. That’s fine. I wish I still had my mother to look to as a source of wisdom. She has developed a kind of chart that people can use to analyze what they do in four areas and what they would like to do. Give, connect, adapt and grow are the key words for her. It is by being honest with ourselves about how we are doing in those key areas, and being open to what we would like to be doing that we achieve joyspan.

I would highly recommend this book to those who are feeling bored or dissatisfied with their life, especially older people. I have known many people who have been unable to retire (by which I mean quit working) because they could not imagine what to do. These are the folks who will find help and hope in Dr. Burnight’s book. It’s probably time to retire the word “retire” and replace with another word (but I haven’t thought of one yet.) Burnight is a step in the right direction.

YES, please! This book is an absolute must-read! I'm enthusiastically recommending it to all my friends as we navigate what "Act 2" of our lives could truly look like. The author does a magnificent job of exploring the genuine benefits of aging, offering practical advice on how to adapt, and emphasizing the power of small, cumulative steps.

What sets this apart from other self-help books is its refreshing honesty: it doesn't over-promise, and even includes a valuable chapter on navigating moments when your "joyspan" dips. I found myself highlighting extensively throughout, particularly the powerful "Joy Practice" segments.

I strongly recommend purchasing this book in print. Readers will undoubtedly want to engage with the exercises, jot notes in the margins, and highlight countless meaningful passages. This book truly flips the script on aging, and it will absolutely transform how I approach my own aging journey. My thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

We continue to push away the possible (aging with hope, joy, resilience, connection and confidence) to flounder and grasp at the impossible (not aging/staying young forever). This theory offers a total overhaul and remodel of our aging attitude framework, it’s broken down into clear and concise methods, and has all the science to back it up. I really connected with the visual diagrams of overlapping healthspan, lifespan, and joyspan. I truly feel like human experience is meant to have an equal joyspan and lifespan. We all have that one person we can think of who embraced every year/decade of their life with curiosity, humor, and enthusiasm. We also all know someone who vitally needs to discover joy, purpose, connection, and love.

As a lover of self-help books and Mel Robbin’s book “The Let Them Theory,” I was thoroughly pleased and in awe of “Joyspan.” While it is a book about having a longevity of joy later in life, at the ripe age of 25, I loved it and learned a lot. It was a pretty quick read and I learned so much. I also loved the aspect of applying it your life with prompts as well as real life examples. If you want to live a long and joyful life, READ THIS BOOK (you won’t regret it).

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝙅𝙤𝙮𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙣 𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵
“𝘑𝘰𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦; 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵.”

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Joyspan by Kerry Burnight, and I cannot express how grateful I am for the opportunity. This book was so much more than I expected; it’s one of those rare non-fiction reads that doesn’t just inform you, but truly transforms the way you see yourself, your relationships, and the world around you.

From the very first chapter, I felt an instant connection to Burnight’s warm, insightful voice. The writing is clear, compassionate, and deeply authentic. What struck me most was how Kerry weaves personal stories, research, and actionable wisdom into something profoundly moving and practical at the same time. It’s not often that a book can simultaneously make you tear up, nod along in agreement, and want to jot down notes on every other page.

Joyspan is an exploration of what it means to live meaningfully, embrace aging, foster connection, and cultivate joy; not just in fleeting moments, but as a sustainable part of everyday life. Burnight draws on her rich background in gerontology and human connection to deliver a book that feels like both a science-backed guide and a conversation with a wise, kind friend.

I learned so much while reading this. Some sections left me reflecting on my own life in ways I didn’t anticipate, while others gave me practical, actionable advice that I’ve already started implementing. It reminded me of the importance of relationships, the underrated power of gratitude, and how small shifts in mindset can lead to expansive changes in quality of life.

I can confidently say this is one of the best non-fiction books I’ve read in years. It’s beautifully written, emotionally resonant, and endlessly insightful. I think this book will resonate with anyone looking to live a more intentional, joyful, connected life, no matter your age or stage.

I cannot recommend Joyspan enough. Whether you’re seeking to enrich your life, navigate challenges with grace, or simply soak up a little more everyday joy, this book belongs on your shelf.

I learned so much, felt so seen, and finished it feeling hopeful, grateful, and inspired to live more meaningfully every single day.

Huge thanks to Kerry Burnight and the team for the opportunity to read this early, I’ll be recommending this one to literally everyone I know. 💛📚

We all, if we are lucky, age. Dr. Kerry Burnight’s Joyspan is a guide to thriving as we grow older, to living with gratitude, purpose, connection, and joy. Joyspan offers common sense, practical tools to improve our quality of life, focusing on learning, community involvement and other tools to add joy into daily life. I especially appreciated Dr. Burnright’s clear and concise treatment of the realities of aging, which could include loss of friends or partners, health scares and setbacks, and diminishing capabilities — it’s good to know what might be coming and to begin to strategize how to live the life we want, rather than the life we might otherwise default into.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Joyspan by Dr. Kerry Burnight is a warm and encouraging read that promotes a hopeful, empowering outlook on aging. Dr. Burnight’s compassionate tone and positive messaging shine through, making this a comforting book for readers who are looking to shift their mindset and embrace this stage of life with intention and grace.

While I appreciated the overall message and found several moments of insight, the book tended to stay on the surface and repeated many of the same ideas throughout. I was hoping for a bit more depth or practical guidance to balance out the inspirational tone.

That said, Joyspan could be a great starting point for readers who are new to thinking about aging in a more positive light. It offers a gentle push toward reflection and perspective, and Dr. Burnight’s voice feels like that of a trusted friend cheering you on.

Thank you NetGalley and Worthy Publishing for my ARC!

I found this book very interesting. It was a good exploration into wellbeing and it presented an actionable way to increase your wellbeing. The science explored a variety of information and it was backed up with real life examples. I found the information hopeful and uplifting. I felt it was written very reader friendly and not dumbed down. A well thought out book

Everyone can benefit from reading Joyspan. Dr. Burnight does a wonderful job of explaining how we can live healthier, longer lives in simple ways. With her expertise as a gerontologist and real-life stories that have proven much of the science involved, you are sure to learn what it takes to accept the changes and challenges in your life and to have joy throughout. This book is for all age groups; it is useful as you age or as you deal with aging parents.

“Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called ‘I’. Grant me, oh Lord, a sense of good humor. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke, to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.” ~Thomas More, 1498

I've enjoyed this book so much that I will be purchasing a hard copy for my library. It's full of wisdom that I want to reflect on for the rest of my life.

Thank you to Worthy Books for this ARC of Joyspan and for allowing me to read it and publish my honest review. This review is entirely my own, and I was not influenced in any way.

An intelligent and practical look at making the last part of your life as meaningful as the first.

I was happy to receive this advanced reading copy, and eagerly dug into this, both for myself and for perspective for my 84-year-old mother, who has been living in assisted living for the last two years. While her Joyspan has improved, I felt she could use some practical steps to expand it even further.

Practical is indeed the best word to describe this book. Broken into four sections (using action words like Give, Grow, Adapt, Connect), the author provides a functional framework that is accessible to anyone at any age:

I appreciated the exercises as well as the case studies for each point. I did find it a tad dry, especially in the first chapter or two.

Overall an important book for our ever aging civilization.

Brilliant read!!! As a woman navigating perimenopause and feeling the weight of getting older resting on my shoulders- this book could not have come along at the perfect time for me to read.
First of all, thank you Dr. Kerry Burnight for such a wonderful and inspiring read. The possibility of aging with confidence, positivity, purpose, and dare I say, grace is exciting!! The strategies laid out in the book to aid in living my best life until the end are thought provoking. This is a must read for everyone- young and old 😊
Thank you to Taylor Peterson and the Hachette Book Group for offering me this early read opportunity 💜