On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old

"This impassioned book invites readers to the deep end of life where authentic soul work and human transformation become pressing concerns." --Publishers Weekly

2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medalist in the Aging/Death & Dying Category

From bestselling author Parker J. Palmer comes a brave and beautiful book for all who want to age reflectively, seeking new insights and life-giving ways to engage in the world. "Age itself," he says, "is no excuse to wade in the shallows. It's a reason to dive deep and take creative risks."

Looking back on eight decades of life--and on his work as a writer, teacher, and activist--Palmer explores what he's learning about self and world, inviting readers to explore their own experience. In prose and poetry--and three downloadable songs written for the book by the gifted Carrie Newcomer--he meditates on the meanings of life, past, present, and future.

With compassion and chutzpah, gravitas and levity, Palmer writes about cultivating a vital inner and outer life, finding meaning in suffering and joy, and forming friendships across the generations that bring new life to young and old alike.

"This book is a companion for not merely surviving a fractured world, but embodying--like Parker--the fiercely honest and gracious wholeness that is ours to claim at every stage of life." --Krista Tippett, New York Times-bestselling author of Becoming Wise

"A wondrously rich mix of reality and possibility, comfort and story, helpful counsel and poetry, in the voice of a friend . . . This is a book of immense gratitude, consolation, and praise." --Naomi Shihab Nye, National Book Award finalist