The Longevity Economy

As the director of the MIT AgeLab, Joseph Coughlin has studied trends in demographics and technology, and has spearheaded groundbreaking research and innovation on improving the quality of life for older people and those who care for them. Now, in The Longevity Economy, he uses this expertise to break new ground in understanding this market, which composes an ever-increasing share of the total population.

While companies see the size and wealth of this market, they all too often use an outdated narrative to figure out what it really wants. Coughlin debunks conventional wisdom and provides the framing needed to be in sync with this influential and lucrative market. He uses fascinating examples from a wide variety of sectors, from financial services to housing, health care, consumer products, and personal relationships. He showcases the work of companies like PillPack, an online pharmacy that delivers medicine presorted to your home; OXO, which makes ergonomic utensils; and edX, an online learning platform that makes it easy for older people to learn from home.

Coughlin's insights will help businesses connect with older consumers, who continue to defy expectations, contribute to economic growth, and build a better, enduring vision of old age.

“"I loved this book. It's thought-provoking, insightful, and unexpectedly fun. You'll learn about what we get wrong about a world where people live a long time, how innovators botch serving such people, and how everyone from families to companies can do a lot better. With fantastic stories of runaway successes and hilarious flops alike ("Senior Food," anyone?), Coughlin demonstrates how design and innovation can change the way we age." -- Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal”

"Forget what you 'think' you know about aging. The landscape of later life has been transformed, and thanks to Joe Coughlin we now have a GPS to guide us through this exciting new world."--Andy Sieg, head of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
"I loved this book. It's thought-provoking, insightful, and unexpectedly fun. You'll learn about what we get wrong about a world where people live a long time, how innovators botch serving such people, and how everyone from families to companies can do a lot better. With fantastic stories of runaway successes and hilarious flops alike ("Senior Food," anyone?), Coughlin demonstrates how design and innovation can change the way we age."
--Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal
"In The Longevity Economy, Joe Coughlin offers keen insights into the aging population and how it is transforming our society and economy. Longer lifespans will revolutionize the way we live and offer incredible new opportunities, but will also require a new rigor in the way people plan and save for their later years. Coughlin's work is helping raise awareness of the demographic shifts, helping build critical understanding of the need for individuals, businesses and policymakers alike to adapt and change for the future."--Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President and CEO, TIAA
"Joe Coughlin has done a terrific job exploding "old age" as a concept. The magnificent result--at once forward-looking, hilariously irreverent, and engaging--serves as an indispensable road map for how to take full advantage of life's ever-lengthening third act. As I've found among the world's longest-lived people, celebrating older people is a key ingredient. The Longevity Economy shows us how to harness the skills of the wisest people among us and help them--and everyone around them--live longer."--Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and author of The Blue Zones
"Joe Coughlin has proven that the time has come to create a new narrative of possibility in old age. In The Longevity Economy, he not only defines that better narrative--he shows businesses how to lead in creating it and how to profit from the opportunities it provides."--Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP
"This book is classic Coughlin, complete with real-life examples too big to ignore and too interesting to forget. The Longevity Economy doesn't just make you rethink the role of consumer insights and trends, it forces you to re-imagine their impact."
--Stephanie Linnartz, Marriott International Global Chief Commercial Officer
"What a magnificent book! Dr. Coughlin dispels the many biases that surround our perceptions of aging as a path to irrelevance. It should instead be seen as a path to ascendance. Increasingly, inclusive design is where businesses are heading because 'the golden years' are where true gold lies in the new, longevity economy."--John Maeda, author of The Laws ofSimplicity and Redesigning Leadership

Joseph Coughlin is the founder and director of the MIT AgeLab, a multidisciplinary research program created to understand the behavior of the 50+ population, the role of technology in their lives, and the opportunity for innovation to improve the quality of life for older adults and their families. He is a member of the board of directors of AARP, AARP Services, and Benchmark Senior Living. Coughlin consults with major companies in the United States and internationally, including BMW, Colgate, Kimberly Clark, JP Morgan, Marriott, Johnson & Johnson, Cartier, and many others.

As the director of the MIT AgeLab, Joseph Coughlin has studied trends in demographics and technology, and has spearheaded groundbreaking research and innovation on improving the quality of life for older people and those who care for them. Now, in The Longevity Economy , he uses this expertise to break new ground in understanding this market, which composes an ever-increasing share of the total population.While companies see the size and wealth of this market, they all too often use an outdated narrative to figure out what it really wants. Coughlin debunks conventional wisdom and provides the framing needed to be in sync with this influential and lucrative market. He uses fascinating examples from a wide variety of sectors, from financial services to housing, health care, consumer products, and personal relationships. He showcases the work of companies like PillPack, an online pharmacy that delivers medicine presorted to your home; OXO, which makes ergonomic utensils; and edX, an online learning platform that makes it easy for older people to learn from home. Coughlin's insights will help businesses connect with older consumers, who continue to defy expectations, contribute to economic growth, and build a better, enduring vision of old age.

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