Dr. Lee Si-hyung’s *Happy Aging* is a book that clearly explains what it means to age with dignity and how to achieve it. First of all, I was very surprised to learn that Dr. Lee Si-hyung is 93 years old. It made me think that if I lived exactly as he describes in the book, I would surely be able to enjoy a healthy and happy old age. Unlike sensational marketing concepts like “slow aging,” which recently became a brief trend on YouTube and elsewhere, I appreciated that the book is filled with very realistic and practical health tips. I recommend this book not only to seniors who wish to age with dignity but also to middle-aged adults in their 40s and 50s—as the aging process begins in earnest—so they can read it in advance and start adopting a healthy lifestyle.
In particular, the warning about carbohydrates in the Korean diet was spot-on, and I deeply agreed that they are a key factor undermining modern people’s health. The doctor’s advice to cut back on carbohydrates—such as bread, sandwiches, and bagels—and increase protein intake focused on meat and fish was both obvious and truly resonant. I was also deeply impressed by the emphasis on the importance of maintaining social connections even in old age, contributing to society in even the smallest ways, and preserving the sense of being a “useful person.” I began to see seniors around me—whether they were volunteering, working as delivery drivers, or even joining protests at Olympic Park—as people striving to do something useful for society. After all, they are living much healthier and more meaningful lives than those who do nothing and sink into depression in old age.
One thing I found disappointing was that, through his writing, it became clear that Dr. Lee, while acknowledging God’s existence, still holds the perspective of a “theistic evolutionist” who partially accepts the theory of evolution. Of course, this book is neither a religious text nor one that argues one must believe in Jesus to be happy, but I found myself praying that, if Dr. Lee Si-hyung is to find true happiness, he might need to let go of theistic evolution and fully encounter God. I was reminded of a time when I was writing the book *Happy Deliveryman* and meditated deeply on the word “happiness.” Through this reading, I realized once again that happiness is never far away—it is always very close to us.
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