Reinvention of Self

BOOK REVIEW BY WILLIAM FRASER

The Retirement Boom is subtitled An All-Inclusive Guide to Money, Life, and Health in Your Next Chapter. The authors examine all aspects of retirement from financial to social and personal. The book would make an excellent gift for someone about to retire.

The writers propose retirement not as an end of work, but rather as a reinvention of oneself. This reinvention may mean a new career or job, a reduced workload or a job as a volunteer. It may also be a time to rediscover oneself through travel, writing or discovering some new craft or hobby.

Of course, this new lifestyle will need a financial basis, and so the writers present ideas such as working to supplement retirement funds, or reducing spending or downsizing to save money.

Because this book is written for a U.S. audience, social safety net, health coverage and defined benefit plans are not considered. Nevertheless, there are important tips on how to deal with financial wellness. Planning becomes very important in all aspects of retirement.

The aspect of health is also addressed. The authors caution about the ‘first thirty days’ because this change in life can have a psychological as well as a physical effect on the body—one fact that is often overlooked. So again, planning and being aware of such problems can be a real advantage as one enters retirement.

The book suggests websites that offer worksheets and charts that the reader is encouraged to work through. The last few pages are lists of websites that go along with each chapter. There are also pages of checklists to help the reader think, plan and work through the chapters.

The Retirement Boom: An All-Inclusive Guide to Money, Life, and Health in Your Next Chapter
By Catherine Allen, Nancy Bearg,
Rita Foley, Jaye Smith
Career Press, 2015
Paperback 250 pages
Also available: audio CD, Kindle,
Kobo, other ‘e’ formats