A compelling vision of balancing work and free time without waiting for retirement.
A new approach to planning work and leisure time throughout one’s life.
In this debut personal finance book, Herriot introduces readers to the concept of “time freedom,” the idea that wealth doesn’t mean accumulating enough money to retire early—it means securing sufficient income and savings, combined with control over work scheduling, to allow one to move between periods of work and periods of leisure instead of enduring many years of toil followed by late-in-life relaxation (“it’s about shaping how your time unfolds on your terms, not constantly negotiating between the push and pull of work and life as if they were separate forces”). The author explains what time freedom looks like in different contexts (such as Herriot’s family’s commitment to a multigenerational tradition of summering at a Wisconsin lake) before guiding readers through the process of applying the framework to their own needs and interests. The author coaches readers on using their values to shape their spending rather than relying on strict budgeting, working within the limits of their “money personalities” (and building new entrepreneurial or frugality skills as needed), and balancing savings and investments to meet financial needs. Herriot counsels readers to use their skills and connections—often those developed through a more traditional career path—to create a flexible business that ebbs and flows, often on a seasonal basis, to help them balance work and play throughout their lifetime. The author makes a persuasive case for reevaluating the traditional retirement structure, and offers a compelling framework (the Time Freedom Formula: “Lifestyle Expenses = Investment Income + Flexible Work”) for developing a new lifestyle vision. The book’s financial guidance is generally solid, encouraging prudent behavior and minimal risk-taking in pursuit of an enjoyable life. While the book doesn’t address the broader structural challenges of 21st-century employment formats—Herriot focuses on individual rather than policy solutions to the problems of unfulfilling work and inadequate leisure—readers with entrepreneurial leanings and skill sets that can be profitable outside of a salaried context will find both inspiration and actionable advice in these pages.
A compelling vision of balancing work and free time without waiting for retirement.Pub Date: today
ISBN: 9781774587126
Page Count: 296
Publisher: Page Two Simplified
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.
The late actor offers a gentle guide for living with more purpose, love, and joy.
Mixing poetry, prescriptive challenges, and elements of memoir, Heche (1969-2022) delivers a narrative that is more encouraging workbook than life story. The author wants to share what she has discovered over the course of a life filled with abuse, advocacy, and uncanny turning points. Her greatest discovery? Love. “Open yourself up to love and transform kindness from a feeling you extend to those around you to actions that you perform for them,” she writes. “Only by caring can we open ourselves up to the universe, and only by opening up to the universe can we fully experience all the wonders that it holds, the greatest of which is love.” Throughout the occasionally overwrought text, Heche is heavy on the concept of care. She wants us to experience joy as she does, and she provides a road map for how to get there. Instead of slinking away from Hollywood and the ridicule that she endured there, Heche found the good and hung on, with Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford starring as particularly shining knights in her story. Some readers may dismiss this material as vapid Hollywood stuff, but Heche’s perspective is an empathetic blend of Buddhism (minimize suffering), dialectical behavioral therapy (tolerating distress), Christianity (do unto others), and pre-Socratic philosophy (sufficient reason). “You’re not out to change the whole world, but to increase the levels of love and kindness in the world, drop by drop,” she writes. “Over time, these actions wear away the coldness, hate, and indifference around us as surely as water slowly wearing away stone.” Readers grieving her loss will take solace knowing that she lived her love-filled life on her own terms. Heche’s business and podcast partner, Heather Duffy, writes the epilogue, closing the book on a life well lived.
A sweet final word from an actor who leaves a legacy of compassion and kindness.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781627783316
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Viva Editions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
A far-reaching, mostly persuasive guide that seeks to change how people approach inner challenges.
Ion and Irimia’s self-help book presents seven principles that can alter readers’ lives.
Many people face internal roadblocks that keep them from succeeding. While therapy remains a common treatment option, it can take years to make progress. Fast Transformation Protocols, the method advocated in Ion and Irimia’s guide, is the opposite, only requiring a minor time commitment. The seed for FTP was Ion’s first company, a recruitment agency for corporations in Transylvania, Romania. On a trip with a colleague named Sara, Ion freed the woman from the perception of abandonment, making Sara understand that benefits exist in even the most negative situations. FTP primarily operates by asking many “weird questions” and utilizing seven universal laws: those of duality, reflection, transformation, synchronicity, eristic (i.e., argumentative) escalation, order, and fractals. The laws mingle concepts from science, philosophy, and psychology. Just a few of the numerous examples the authors discuss regarding the law of duality alone include the Babylonians’ concept of celestial cycles; the Chinese version, yin and yang; and, in biology, the balance of cell birth with cell death. Another inspiration is Carl Jung’s exploration of coincidences (the law of synchronicity) and archetypes (the law of fractals). Added to the mix is a helping of spirituality. The authors ask readers, when they’re contemplating life challenges, to consider sacred contracts, an idea that “before birth, your soul carefully chooses the exact context and circumstances it will incarnate into.” The ambitious guide is written in Ion’s voice; she’s a sensitive presence who seems to genuinely aspire to help others. She recalls that as a child, “I pulled my emotions inward and packed them tightly inside me, like delicate things wrapped in newspaper.” Yet this delicacy is balanced by a love of organization and rationality, reflected in this well-structured and mostly convincing book. Intriguing case studies demonstrate how the laws the authors discuss apply to real situations. But some readers will question the success rate. Using one of the seven universal laws is always shown as succeeding, although perhaps not immediately.
A far-reaching, mostly persuasive guide that seeks to change how people approach inner challenges.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2025
ISBN: 9798993098203
Page Count: 313
Publisher: Inspired Life Circle LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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