The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man

The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man (2023) is a nonfiction book by American journalist and author David Von Drehle. In his biography, Von Drehle tells the life story of his neighbor and friend, Charlie White, describing how White managed to live a productive and happy life in a tumultuous century of conflict and change. Von Drehle believes that White’s approach to life serves as a positive model for modern readers who are also dealing with significant societal change and facing an uncertain future.

This SuperSummary guide refers to the Kindle edition of this work.

Summary

In Chapter 1, Von Drehle reflects on how societies change through social and technological revolutions and observes that so many significant events and changes have occurred in the last century. He feels unable to mentor his own children about how to thrive through societal upheaval and was fascinated to meet a neighbor who, over the course of over a century, had done just that.

In Chapter 2, Von Drehle recounts meeting his new neighbor, Charlie White, upon moving to Kansas City in 2007. He was amazed to learn that White was over 100 years old and felt sure that his longevity was thanks to his sense of humor and ability to let go of negative experiences.

In Chapter 3, Von Drehle reveals that White had a happy childhood until age eight, when his father died in an elevator accident.

In Chapter 4, Von Drehle describes how White reacted to his father’s death by focusing on what he could control, and making small, proactive decisions.

In Chapter 5, Von Drehle recounts how a teenaged White and two of his friends took an adventurous car ride from Kansas City to California during the early 1920s when both roads and vehicles were unreliable. After running out of money in California and losing access to a vehicle, White returned home by hopping trains.

In Chapter 6, Von Drehle describes White’s university days, in which he made money by learning the saxophone and playing at dances. During these years he decided to pursue medicine, inspired by the medical missionaries he met at his mother’s boarding house.

In Chapter 7, Von Drehle reveals that White was rejected from medical school but persuaded the dean to reverse his decision. He moved to Chicago for his studies, and a few years later married his wife, Mildred.

In Chapter 8, Von Drehle recounts how White volunteered for the US Army Reserves during World War II, serving as chief of anesthesia in Army hospitals. He insisted on being trained in the rapidly-advancing specialization at the Mayo Clinic; this was the beginning of his long career as an anesthetist. After the war, White returned to Kansas City, where he found work as an anesthetist, thus beginning a new phase of his career. Suddenly, his wife Mildred passed away. A few years later, White remarried, but his new partnership did not last long due to personal differences.

In Chapter 9, Von Drehle shows how White continued to embrace adventure and change in his middle age. He brought his inventive demeanor to his work, where he helped make advances in open heart surgery. In his fifties, White remarried and became a stepfather and father.

In Chapter 10, Von Drehle reveals how White spent his final years. Before his death, White shared words of wisdom such as “Practice patience,” “Work hard,” and “Spread joy” (190).