Books & More

Our third anthology The Gift of a Long Life is now available in paperback and ebook on Amazon.com

"In this collection of heartfelt essays, 53 individuals share their unique perspectives on aging. From the poignant to the humorous, their stories celebrate the gifts that unfold with each passing year. The Gift of a Long Life is more than a collection of stories; it's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the richness that comes with a life well-lived."

We hope you enjoy this book as much as you enjoyed our previous essay collaborations, Onward (2021) and Homeward (2022). These books are published by a volunteer team and book sales support the Birren Center Non-Profit.

The Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies now has two books in its collection of publications. With the second book, Homeward: Personal Stories on the Search for Belonging (2022), the Birren Center also opened the call for submissions to students of GAB instructors. Homeward is a collaboration of 50 co-authors from the GAB community on the subject of finding a sense of home and where we belong in the world and life. Both books are listed on Amazon; all profits benefit the Birren Center, so they can continue supporting the teachers who bring memoir writing to communities worldwide.

Onward! True Life Stories of Challenges, Choices, and Change is a collaboration of members of the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies. The Birren Center’s mission is to train and support memoir teachers around the world to bring the therapeutic practice of life story writing to every community. We believe that every person has a story, and every story matters.

Challenging times are lonely times. Whatever hard thing you’re navigating today, there’s a compassionate community of hard-times-survivors who want you to know that you are not alone. Sixty-four Guided Autobiography facilitators from around the world, created this collection of stories to reach out a hand to others.

An evidence-based writing method for self-discovery, growth, and healing.

For the psychologically curious person and for therapists who listen to and tell stories every day, the gift of Uncovering Treasures That Matter is in its countless questions written by a forever psychologist.

For your personal discovery, choose and write using the question(s) that makes you noisy inside and takes you on an incredible inner journey. As a therapist, please give it to your clients, so they can imagine and consider while seeking and finding a choice-full life.

Available NOW for purchase from BookBaby or Amazon.

Richard Campbell and Cheryl Svensson. Writer’s Digest (2015).

Writing Your Legacy is a step-by-step guide for someone to pick up, read, complete the exercises and write their own life story. We have been faithful to the Birren GAB process of ‘life themes’ and sensitizing questions to prompt memories. Using the analogy of building a house, we have structured the first part, Laying the Foundation, to include all one needs to know as to the what-why-how to write a life story. Part two, Building the Walls, gets the reader to just ‘Do it’ and begin writing using thirty five possible themes and questions. Finally, part three or Trim Work, assists the writer in how to format and print their life story. We hope this book will provide the reader with the support and know-how to understand the importance of writing their life story and to help them to carry it out.

J.E. Birren & K. Cochran, Johns Hopkins University Press (2001).

This book is based on more than 30 years of conducting Guided Autobiography groups and discusses all the topics a facilitator faces while developing a program for adults who want to recall and write down their life stories. The concept of GAB is explained, as well as the benefits to group participants. The book provides logistical information on how to plan, organize, and set up a GAB group.

J.E.Birren and D. Deutchman, The Johns Hopkins University Press (1991).

This book helps professionals—at senior centers, community centers, and other service facilities—guide older adults and others in preparing their autobiographies. Many older adults, the authors explain, have limited social networks due to widowhood, retirement, and other transitions. GAB is a very effective intervention to increase well-being, foster friendships, and enhance self-esteem.

J. E. Birren & L. Feldman, Simon and Schuster (1997).

Jim Birren developed the GAB process that encourages people to take stock of their lives so that they can move forward, reinvigorated, into a vital, rewarding future. In the book, Birren urges readers to appreciate all they’ve been through, survived and accomplished; figure out what is missing; and decide how they want to spend the rest of their lives. He offers readers the ability to let go of the fears from the past, to understand themselves, and to see the future as a wonderful adventure. The result is living longer better.

The ‘Guided Autobiography,’ DVD will offer some assistance for people who need help documenting their life story. The DVD showcases the GAB method developed by James E. Birren, Ph.D. to assist individuals to recall and document various aspects of their life story. The DVD outlines an exciting 5-step approach that can be used by individuals or groups to guide a personal inquiry process. It is a great teaching aid for facilitators leading Guided Autobiography groups. The DVD is available for immediate shipment at the low cost of $20 which includes shipping and handling ($25 if ordering from outside the United States).