Straight from the Heart
By Kristina B. Campbell on September 7, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
This book comes straight from the heart, and Eric's genuine and lifelong love of the elderly is evident in each story and on every page. To watch Eric interact with the elderly is to witness a love story in action. Lacking any hint of condescension, Eric's greatest gift is his down to earth and heartfelt approach to his relationships with the elderly. Eric is completely without guile or affectation, and those seasoned with wisdom immediately feel his warmth, humor and considerable intelligence. The elderly do not suffer fools gladly, and Eric is just the personality to capture their attention, their spirits, and their affection. Nor does Eric suffer fools gladly, so the elderly are his peer group of choice. It's a perfect fit. More than his considerable intellect, kindness is the essence of Eric's lifelong love affair with the elderly. If every old person had the same kind of relationship Eric had with Aunt Olive, we would wipe out the crisis of eldercare in one loving heartbeat. The reader will enjoy absorbing this compassionate volume, and hopefully readers will emulate Eric's approach and love for the old souls in our midst. The reader will also fall in love with this extraordinary author who happens to be my favorite and beloved cousin. Fondly, The Reverend Dr. Kristina Bergeson Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Advice you can't get anywhere else
By Elmer Halstensgaard on September 5, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a first rate book about the author's observations of the elderly, but first a few words about the author. He writes in a easy to read, entertaining style. When he is not writing he sings, plays the piano, and tells stories about the elderly, mostly at nursing homes including alzheimers units. He does an occasional radio show, lecturing in general and teaching at the University. Ever the entrepreneur he entertains "snowbirds" on his working vacations in Arizona. I caught one of his shows. It was sold out but I sneaked in. It was very funny and entertaining.
After his house by the swamp-as he likes to call it-in Northern MN was featured in a metropolitan newspaper, I snagged a tour by just showing up unannounced. It was magnificent. Not very politically correct but that is my way as a retired factory worker from Milwaukee.
What really caught my attention in the book is how to talk to the dying or in many cases not to talk but just sit with them. The author started to form his observations of the elderly as a small child growing up in an area where their wasn't other playmates during the summer. He had a never ending line of customers coming to the nursery to interact with.
You will enjoy this book.
A Treasure
By Elaine on September 18, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
This is heartwarming and edifying, a joy to read and a guide to interacting gracefully with the elderly which naturally extends to all relationships.
"A Treasury of Old Souls," by Eric Bergeson, brings to life the stories this Fertile, Minn., native has heard — and the important things he's learned — from the small town's aging population. There are humorous moments, as well as more poignant stories, in this entertaining book.
Bergeson, a frequent speaker on elder care topics, has written six books.
