The Retirement Maze

April 15, 2012
There is great content here, provided at a time when millions of Americans will transition into a life without work. The nuggets and insights truly helpful to those planning to get out of the nine-to-five world are nested in lots of psychological and academic research. The retired founder of a market-research firm, Pascale teamed with a former coworker and a psychologist to study the ways and means behind the beginnings of a new life. Based on a substantial number of online and some in-person interviews, they foundno surprise!that determinants of happily-ever-after work are gender, health, wealth, attitudes, motivation, and personality. Anecdotes (occasionally repeated) underscore the need to thoroughly plan, not just financially but also emotionally, for a purposeful next stage. Perhaps the most powerful chapter of all is the last, spelling out the five nonsequential steps to a great retirement: put back structure, purpose, and direction; get your finances in order; and keep searching and experimenting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)