"The Book of Charlie": Wisdom from a centenarian neighbor

It was a typical Sunday in August 2007, in a suburb of Kansas City, when David Von Drehle spotted his new neighbor: "Charlie was in the drive wearing just a pair of swim trunks, and he's washing his girlfriend's car," he said. "Big, muscular chest."

Charlie, at that time, was 102 years old.

Charles White III had already lived a couple of lifetimes, and still had a lot of road in front of him. Meanwhile, Von Drehle and his young family had just moved from Washington, D.C. The two became fast friends. "We'd usually sit in his den, and he'd tell me stories," Von Drehle said.