A management consultant turns his attention to “managing” retirement.
In this well-researched, intelligently written book, Wilson (Innovative Reward Systems for the Changing Workplace, 2002, etc.) suggests to retirees, “This is the only time left where you may be able to make choices about where, how, who and why you want to live your life.” The author first calls upon other credible sources to present his interpretation of “the ten stages that define a lifetime,” a perceptive if not entirely original take on the cradle-to-grave life cycle. This opening establishes a platform for the remainder of the book, which concentrates chapter by chapter on big later-in-life issues, including time, money, relationships, and health. Wilson cites studies and draws on personal interviews he conducted to address each subject with authority in a nonjudgmental way. A key point is that “living a purposeful life, one where you are engaged and feel a sense of importance for how you spend your time, leads to remarkable value for you.” In chapters that are instructive and engaging, Wilson walks readers through content that, for some, could provoke much self-examination. For example, in the chapter “Who Are You Going to Be?” 10 different lifestyle models are defined and described; whether describing a “Traveler, Explorer, Adventurer,” or a “Volunteer/Social Activist/One Who Gives Back,” these models should serve to help people nearing retirement critically evaluate their own skills, passions, and desires. One of the book’s strengths is its core message that people should develop their own “master plan” to enjoy a fruitful retirement. Having neatly woven together the previous chapters, Wilson uses the end of the book to guide the reader through a cleverly designed, step-by-step interactive process that culminates in a personalized master plan. The process requires considerable time and thought, answering questions and completing various forms, but those who make a serious effort are sure to be rewarded. Wilson is keenly aware that retirement can create anxiety and uncertainty; his writing exudes sensitivity and understanding, and he is realistic yet encouraging in his wise counsel.
A pragmatic, structured approach to carefully planning for retirement.Pub Date: July 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-982229-34-4
Page Count: 226
Publisher: BalboaPress
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Categories: SELF-HELP
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Doyle offers another lucid, inspiring chronicle of female empowerment and the rewards of self-awareness and renewal.
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More life reflections from the bestselling author on themes of societal captivity and the catharsis of personal freedom.
In her third book, Doyle (Love Warrior, 2016, etc.) begins with a life-changing event. “Four years ago,” she writes, “married to the father of my three children, I fell in love with a woman.” That woman, Abby Wambach, would become her wife. Emblematically arranged into three sections—“Caged,” “Keys,” “Freedom”—the narrative offers, among other elements, vignettes about the soulful author’s girlhood, when she was bulimic and felt like a zoo animal, a “caged girl made for wide-open skies.” She followed the path that seemed right and appropriate based on her Catholic upbringing and adolescent conditioning. After a downward spiral into “drinking, drugging, and purging,” Doyle found sobriety and the authentic self she’d been suppressing. Still, there was trouble: Straining an already troubled marriage was her husband’s infidelity, which eventually led to life-altering choices and the discovery of a love she’d never experienced before. Throughout the book, Doyle remains open and candid, whether she’s admitting to rigging a high school homecoming court election or denouncing the doting perfectionism of “cream cheese parenting,” which is about “giving your children the best of everything.” The author’s fears and concerns are often mirrored by real-world issues: gender roles and bias, white privilege, racism, and religion-fueled homophobia and hypocrisy. Some stories merely skim the surface of larger issues, but Doyle revisits them in later sections and digs deeper, using friends and familial references to personify their impact on her life, both past and present. Shorter pieces, some only a page in length, manage to effectively translate an emotional gut punch, as when Doyle’s therapist called her blooming extramarital lesbian love a “dangerous distraction.” Ultimately, the narrative is an in-depth look at a courageous woman eager to share the wealth of her experiences by embracing vulnerability and reclaiming her inner strength and resiliency.
Doyle offers another lucid, inspiring chronicle of female empowerment and the rewards of self-awareness and renewal.Pub Date: March 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0125-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
Categories: GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | SELF-HELP
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PROFILES
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
The queen of Thursday night TV delivers a sincere and inspiring account of saying yes to life.
Rhimes, the brain behind hits like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, is an introvert. She describes herself as a young girl, playing alone in the pantry, making up soap-opera script stories to act out with the canned goods. Speaking in public terrified her; going to events exhausted her. She was always busy, and she didn’t have enough time for her daughters. One Thanksgiving changed it all: when her sister observed that she never said “yes” to anything, Rhimes took it as a challenge. She started, among other things, accepting invitations, facing unpleasant conversations, and playing with her children whenever they asked. The result was a year of challenges and self-discovery that led to a fundamental shift in how she lives her life. Rhimes tells us all about it in the speedy, smart style of her much-loved TV shows. She’s warm, eminently relatable, and funny. We get an idea of what it’s like to be a successful TV writer and producer, to be the ruler of Shondaland, but the focus is squarely on the lessons one can learn from saying yes rather than shying away. Saying no was easy, Rhimes writes. It was comfortable, “a way to disappear.” But after her year, no matter how tempting it is, “I can no longer allow myself to say no. No is no longer in my vocabulary.” The book is a fast read—readers could finish it in the time it takes to watch a full lineup of her Thursday night programing—but it’s not insubstantial. Like a cashmere shawl you pack just in case, Year of Yes is well worth the purse space, and it would make an equally great gift.
Rhimes said “yes” to sharing her insights. Following her may not land you on the cover of a magazine, but you’ll be glad you did.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4767-7709-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2015
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