His mission is keeping Boomer brothers and sistas active and out of their ruts by moving, thinking, socializing and creating. Peter's got some great ideas. Beyond being one of the Boomer generation's best advocates, he's a hell of a lot of fun to talk to - like we did when we caught with him one hot summer morning...
What are you doing these days?
I live right around the corner from where the American Revolution began in Lexington, Massachusetts, and I work in downtown Boston. I'm senior VP at an educational travel non-profit for Boomers and retirees called Road Scholar, where I do strategic planning, marketing and research. Right now, I'm pretty focused on my new book Master Class: Living Longer, Stronger, and Happier which came out June 26. The book "reverse engineers" the lifestyle of people 55 and older who are living amazing and fulfilling lives and turns their secrets into a program anyone can follow.
Peter on his dream vacation in Tahiti
What are three songs you've been listening to on your iPod?
My tastes are pretty old school and I listen to three classic live recordings over and over again. From The Stones, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! I love the great guitar interplay between Mick Taylor and Keith Richards on Sympathy for the Devil. Van Morrison's live recording of his classic Astral Weeks at the Hollywood Bowl a few years ago is amazing--my favorite cut is The Way Young Lovers Do. But the greatest live concert recording of all time is The Band's Last Waltz and Helpless with Neil Young--and Joni Mitchell's high harmony coming in at the end--is the highlight for me.
What are you reading now?
My son Tom and I took a trip to Texas in April and we visited the LBJ Ranch in the Hill Country, so now I'm re-reading The Path to Power, the first volume of Robert Caro's biography of Lyndon Johnson, and I plan on reading the rest of the set in the coming months. Johnson was a fascinating guy, a real manipulator, and Caro tells the story beautifully without sacrificing any detail. I'm a history nut and also love historical novels. Next up is Hilary Mantel's Bring up the Bodies, the second volume of her trilogy about Thomas Cromwell and the world of Henry VIII. The first volume--Wolf Hall--won the Booker Prize and was one of the best books I've ever read.
Favorite meal?
I love--and love to cook--Middle Eastern food. A perfect meal for me would be marinated lamb and vegetable kebabs, stuffed grape leaves, fried haloumi cheese with pear and spiced dates (from Ana Sortun's Spice cookbook), and for dessert a little triangle of honey-soaked baklava, all washed down with a few glasses of pinot noir. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
What's the one electronic gadget you could not live without?
I got a Garmin watch for Christmas last year and I love it! I use it for running and when I upload the data to my laptop I have a geeky amount of detail about each run, including maps, average heart rate, pace per mile and elevation gain. My goal is to run 1,000 miles this year--if my slightly arthritic left knee holds up.
Where is your favorite vacation?
Last year, my wife Melissa and I went on a Road Scholar program to Tahiti where we went from island to island on a small ship called the "Paul Gauguin." We spent a lot of time snorkeling and our study leader was a professor from the University of Hawaii who told us all about the volcanic island geology, the coral reef ecology and Polynesian culture. Watching the sun set over the Bora Bora lagoon is a sublime experience and should be on everyone's bucket list.