Former Auckland radio and television talkshow host Gordon Dryden marked his 68th birthday by becoming the world's top-selling nonfiction author. That year (1999), his book, The Learning Revolution, sold a world record 10 million copies in China - in seven months.

Now at 75, he about to launch, early in 2007, his newest book, The Health Revolution.

It's aimed specially at the baby boomer generation (and how to look, act and feel years younger.)

Gordon has provided Kiwiboomers an exclusive preview of the Introduction to the book, with an invitation to Kiwiboomers to send in any interesting health anecdotes to his email address:

Gordon and wife Margaret in November 2006 also chalked up 50 years of happy marriage.

His recipe for celebrating how "life begins at 75 - or younger if you want to start early":

*   Follow Thomas Edison's edict: "I never worked a day in my life.  It was all fun."

*   His own: "Die young - but at a very old age."

*   His wife's:  "Have more fun."

*   From their old friend Billy Trillo (wife of Cliff, founder of the Auckland Trillo's mass catering establishment): "Life's too short to drink bad wine."

*   Peter Snell's, from his new book of the same name: "Use it or lose it."

*   His personal guidelines for success after 60:  "The same as before 60:  Enjoy life, whatever it brings.  Smile with your eyes.  Don't dwell on what might have been: decide what you can make happen in future, and do it.  Find, keep and nurture a great partner.  Tackle at least one new project every year, to expand your experience and vision.  Embrace the World Wide Web and its major implication: to become a global citizen."  

And his message for the boomer generation, starting to turn 60 this year: "The baby-boomer demographic bulge is about to become the most important political force in the world.  But, unlike the concept of 'Grey Power', this is the new anti-ageing, non-greying generation: the first generation where people know how to stay young at heart."

He's also adamant that the world needs "digital online templates" (like Kiwiboomers) to make sure that  "the wisdom of experience blends with the enthusiasm of youth" in changing the world for the better.

As a personal example of that, Gordon was this year (2006) awarded an honorary doctorate in computer science from the University of Advancing Technology on Arizona, USA.  And he has since been appointed one of three Distinguished Professors of Innovation at that university.  The other two: Dr Edward De Bono, the founder of the concept of Lateral Thinking, and Dr Margaret Wheatley, author of several books.

In that capacity, Gordon is linking with the university's 1,300 "digital games" students to take the world's best business innovations (from Peter Jackson's leadership in turning Wellington into a major movie capital to the Apple iPod) to turn them into interactive learning games.

He also hopes that members taking part in such online projects as Kiwiboomers will link with other similar online "communities of interest" around the world to promote these links between "stimulating experience" and "tomorrow's boomers".

Gordon's earlier book, written in partnership with American doctor of education Jeannette Vos (who has since married another New Zealand entrepreneur, Hamilton manufacturer John Green), has now been completely upgraded as The New Learning Revolution, recently published in Britain.  A New Zealand edition will be out early in 2007.

The original book, The Learning Revolution, has since, over several editions, been published in 19 languages.