Karl Pillemer
Born: October 15, 1954 – Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Karl Pillemer is a gerontologist and family sociologist at Cornell whose work examines aging, intergenerational relationships, caregiving, and family estrangement. ((https://psychology.cornell.edu/karl-pillemer)) He is best known for 30 Lessons for Living, 30 Lessons for Loving, and Fault Lines. ((https://www.human.cornell.edu/spotlights/pillemer-receives-pollack-award?utm_source=openai)) A public-facing scholar, he has published more than 200 scholarly works and helped translate aging research into practice. ((https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/06/faculty-staff-win-2025-suny-chancellors-awards-excellence))
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Popular Books
30 Lessons for Loving
Karl Pillemer
Wisdom from long-married couples on finding love, resolving conflicts, and keeping romance alive for a lifetime of happiness together.
Fault Lines
Karl Pillemer
A compassionate guide to healing family rifts, combining real stories with research-based advice for reconciliation and renewed connections.
30 Lessons for Loving
Karl Pillemer
Wisdom from long-married couples on finding love, resolving conflicts, and keeping romance alive for a lifetime of happiness together.
Fault Lines
Karl Pillemer
A compassionate guide to healing family rifts, combining real stories with research-based advice for reconciliation and renewed connections.
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Community Voices
"For five years, Karl Pillemer sat down with more than 1,000 older Americans—most of them between the ages of 70 and 100—to talk about lessons for living well"
— The Daily Beast ((
"Karl Pillemer has done an incredible job of bringing together the collective wisdom of hundreds of Americans"
— Matthew Kelly ((
"In this thoughtful, compassionate book Karl Pillemer shows that it need not be permanent and his perceptive, gentle guidance lights the way to reconciliation"
— Gabor Maté ((
"Karl Pillemer, a gifted gerontologist, has produced a volume that reflects great wisdom"
— Kathleen McCartney ((
"Thank you Karl Pillemer for taking the time to collect such a valuable trove of wisdom"
— Hal Urban ((
"With Fault Lines, Karl Pillemer courageously rappels into the deep social crevice created by these devastating rifts"
— Amy Dickinson ((
"Karl Pillemer presents the wisdom of the ultimate experts in relationships"
— Steven Stosny ((
"But in this wise and moving book, Karl Pillemer combines academic rigor and practical advice to show us how to move toward reconciliation"
— Daniel H. Pink ((
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
