I have been reading some books recently that touch on certain aspects of a real retirement. Four will be briefly introduced here. Plan on seeing full reviews in future articles.
My Philosophy on Books and Articles
This might be a good time to mention my philosophy on reading. This applies to any non-fiction reading, including books, articles and blogs. I read to gain insight, collect information, and maybe sometimes even be inspired. I don’t have to agree with everything an author says, or even “like” the author (although it is really unfair to like or dislike someone based solely on their writing!) The key to me is did the book or article provide some value to me to justify both its cost in dollars and the time invested to read it. Sometimes when I read reviews on Amazon it appears the reviewer bases their whole review on the fact that they didn’t agree with some particular point or idea of the author. As an example let’s look at the books of Tim Ferris, the author of the bestseller “The Four Hour Workweek”, and others. I consider some of Tim’s ideas brilliant, and that book to be a real eye opener that I have reread several times. However I certainly don’t agree with everything that Tim says. In fact I consider some of it to be kind of weird! I have still recommended the book to many of my friends.
How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski
I really enjoyed this book, and agree with most of what it contains. It is different from most retirement books in that it talks little about money. Instead it tries to open your eyes to all the possibilities that retirement presents. It gives concrete ideas and inspiring examples. If you read only one book about what you are going to do with yourself in retirement this should probably be it.
How to Retire the Cheapskate Way by Jeff Yeager
This book does talk about money but in a different way. Instead of talking about predefined formulas and calculations it takes a more realistic approach. It talks about frugality as a way to make retirement possible and gives hope to those without huge nest eggs. The book touches on a lot of topics and provides a lot of examples to save money. There is a lot here, especially if you haven’t already read a lot already about frugality in blogs and other sources.
AARP Great Jobs for Everyone 50+ by Kerry Hannon
Most of us will be working in some way during our retirement. This book is an overview of the many possibilities. You can’t read this book without seeing some new ideas that you have never thought of. I liked the way the job ideas were organized. You have chapters on Seasonal jobs, Holiday jobs, Snowbird jobs, Non Profit jobs, self-employment, and many others. Don’t look for a lot of depth here, but the book does touch on a lot of possibilities with basic information on salary ranges, needed qualifications etc. I really enjoyed just browsing through the possibilities in this book.
Second Act Careers by Nancy Collamer, MS
This book takes a different approach than the one above and adds a section to help you discover what really may work for you. There is more coverage of nontraditional ideas, many with an entrepreneurial slant. The second part of this book includes a series of exercises to help you zero in on what kind of a life and work you want in retirement. They include the kinds of questions a personal coach would ask in helping you clarify your life and work.
Look for in depth reviews of these books in future articles!
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