American Fiction Awards Finalist in General Fiction What if you had one hundred years of wisdom and experience-on the day you were born? Your attitude about life is different now than it was years ago. And it will be different years from now. Have you ever remembered a choice you made and wondered what your life would look like today had you chosen differently? Bob Carson has been given the gift, or perhaps the curse, of living his long life two ways-both from birth to death and from death to birth. "Forward Bob"-who's aging chronologically-goes through life figuring things out through the usual ages and stages, with the successes, failures, and mistakes we all make while experiencing life. "Backward Bob," who has the presumed advantage of approaching each day with the wisdom of a long and well-lived life, takes a different path. With insight and humor, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart explores how we navigate life, the choices we make, and the question of whether our lives would be objectively better if we could change what has happened. The two Bobs wind up with different wives, kids, friends, and dogs. But will the wisdom of hindsight make life richer and more adventurous, or is the more compelling journey one of discovery?