Bestseller in France, The Warmth of The Heart Prevents the Body from Rusting by Marie De Hennezel seems to be a must-read for over 50s and beyond. With its optimistic subtitle "Ageing without growing old" it presents a brilliantly uplifting antidote to perhaps Lewis Wolpert's detailed account of growing old which perhaps most of us would rather not visit.

However, De Hennezel's book is also honest about the difficulties of old age and the prospect of dying. She fully sees how depressing the subject can be and says: "I almost abandoned my plan to write about such a depressing subject." However, she chooses to totally look on the positive side, as she comments: "I had to go to the heart of the suffering and fear that the experience of growing old generates in order to understand everything it has to offer in terms of human and spiritual enrichment."

Ms De Hennezel was inspired by the people of the island of Okinawa in Japan, dubbed by the World Health Organisation the Island of Long Life. This is where people live to a truly ripe old age - the eldest at present is 115 - and where they eat a really healthy diet including fish, rice, vegetables and tofu with little in the way of sugar. However, undoubtedly what they have in common is a serenity and spirituality coupled with dynamism and activity - the perfect recipe for a joyous old age. What is more, older people on this island are respected and treasured by the younger members - all to be admired and perhaps utilised in our own society. The whole ethos can be summed up in the traditional song sung by the Okinawans which actually inspired the title for Ms Hennezel's book.

For people who haven't been particularly happy and loving in their younger days it might be a challenge to learn that that these qualities are exactly what they need to cultivate in their lives in order to meet the challenges and vigours of old age. As one elderly man commented: "Yes, but it doesn’t remove the rust already there.

The secret it seems is to be simply happy in oneself, not for example, a grumpy old man or woman perhaps at the age of 50. Many people over 80 and beyond are wise, happy and good humoured and not critical of young people as so many older people are.

Ms Hennezel's book recommends that we go on and change and develop our inner spirit and positivity right to the end of life.