A FEW RECOMMENDED RETIREMENT RESOURCES

BOOKS:

Don't Retire, REWIRE!: 5 Steps to Fulfilling Work That Fuels Your Passion, Suits Your Personality, or Fills Your Pocket, by Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miner. (Alpha Books, 2003). ISBN: 0028642287
This is a practical book that can help you make the transition from a job you currently have to one that provides more satisfaction at many levels. The authors offer advice on how to identify and follow your passions, develop skills, and pursue your dreams. The ideas and suggestions are brought to life through the real-life stories of people who have made it through important transitions. The authors walk you clearly through the process and follow the progress of four different pre-retirees. Examples are a great way to truly understand complex concepts and the authors do a solid job. If you are unclear on "what's next," this is a good book to add to your bookshelf. And if you are still stuck, hire a retirement coach, career coach or consultant to get you unstuck!

Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Finding Your True Path in Life, by Nancy K. Schlossberg, EdD (APA Life Tools, 2004), ISBN: 1591470390
Most of us look forward to our retirement from full-time work, eagerly anticipating more free time and opportunities to play. But the reality of retirement can be very different. Relationships with family and friends may change and unexpected challenges may present themselves, leading us to wonder who we really are and what we can reasonably expect to accomplish in the remaining years of our lives. This book provides guidance on the psychological and emotional adjustments we make in retirement. Nancy Schlossberg, a psychologist and experienced counselor, provides tips on coping with its ups and downs and reassures us that retirement can be one of the most fulfilling times of one's life.

Too Young to Retire: 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life, by Marika and Howard Stone. (Penguin Books 2004). ISBN: 0452285577
The book will change your view of retirement with its thought-provoking advice and ideas. The Stones give us hope and courage for staying fully engaged with life, exercises and advice for taking charge of our own destinies, and real-life examples of people doing so, including themselves. Case histories, the writings of others, and their own experiences provide solid suggestions on how to achieve a gratifying transition. This book provides a practical resource for people hoping to restructure their expectations, values, and personal experiences about what the retirement years are going to mean for them. For each chapter, the authors thoughtfully include references for books, Web sites and other tools. Although you can read this book in one sitting, you'll want to refer back to it time, time and again for a refresher on advice, ideas.

My Time: Making the Most of the Bonus Decades After 50, by Abigail Trafford. (Basic Books, 2005). ISBN: 0465086748
The author sees the healthy, active years between 55 and 75 as a bonus granted to this generation, a time to experience a personal renaissance between middle and old age. Trafford blends personal stories with insights from research on adult development to show readers how to move past obstacles and make the most of these years.

The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life, by Jan Cullinane and Cathy Fitzgerald. (Rodale Books, 2004). ISBN: 1579547966
A user-friendly paperback designed to help baby boomers plan for the rest of their lives (whether or not they intend to "retire" in the traditional sense). Cullinane and Fitzgerald cover the usual financial issues such as taxes and housing costs but go beyond these to explore a broad range of other issues, including travel and staying healthy. For example, a chapter on retirement niche communities discusses topics such as gay and lesbian communities, an African-American continuing care center, and the pros and cons of relocating to a college town.

Purpose and Power in Retirement: New Opportunities for Meaning and Significance, by Harold G. Koenig, M.D. (Templeton Foundation Press, 2002). ISBN: 1890151874
Backed up by well-documented research, this book proposes that readers develop a new vision for the next phase of their lives that includes a clear sense of purpose. It is one of the few retirement books that deals with spirituality (among many other topics) without advocating the tenets of a particular faith but by citing ideas from all the major religions. Koenig, a psychiatrist, is founder and director of the Duke University Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health. He is also the editor of the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine.

Second Acts: Creating the Life You Really Want, Building the Career You Truly Desire, by Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine. (HarperResource, 2003). ISBN: 0060514876
A motivational guide to help readers follow their dreams and create a "second act" in midlife, filled with profiles of people who have done it. The authors offer coaching on putting those dreams into words and then turning them into plans and actions. They run through the obstacles to midlife change -- age misperceptions, money worries, expectations of others, lack of training — and show how to turn each of them from a barrier into an opportunity.

The Third Age: Six Principles of Growth and Renewal After Forty, by William A. Sadler. (Perseus Publishing, 2001). ISBN: 073820434X
The author draws on his twelve-year study of several dozen men and women between 45 and 80 to lay out a plan for midlife renewal. He shares the stories of people who have continued growing and learning in this "third age" and presents a set of principles for lifelong growth. This is a thought-provoking book, but less of a how-to manual than some of the other titles described here.

What's Next?: Women Redefining Their Dreams in the Prime of Life, by Rena Pederson with Dr. Lee Smith. (Perigree Trade, 2001). ISBN: 0399526781
Profiles of successful women who have redefined themselves in midlife, offered as examples with thought-provoking questions for readers. The authors encourage women to trust their intuition, step beyond other people's expectations, decide what's best for themselves, and take action to create a better future.

WEBSITES:

Civic Ventures is a think tank and incubator, generating ideas and inventing programs to help society achieve the greatest return on experience. This includes free downloads of:

• MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures New Face of Work Survey. A new survey shows that half of Americans age 50 to 70 want jobs that contribute to the greater good now and in retirement.
• The Boomers' Guide to Good Work: An introduction to jobs that make a difference. This new guide, written by author Ellen Freudenheim, is designed to help baby boomers find public service jobs–whether full or part time–in the second half of their lives.

The National Endowment for Financial Education — "A New Career That Will Place You First – A Guide for Baby Boomers" has great tips for planning for your new career...

2Young2ReTire offers a variety of resources from Senior Health, Retirement jobs and teleclasses.