Choose Costa Rica for Retirement: Retirement Discoveries for Every Budget (Paperback)

by John Howells (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Informative [and] a delight to read.... This book goes the extra mile with deft commentary, interviews and illustrative anecdotes".

The Tico Times (Costa Rica) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Descriptions of scenic, vibrant places as well as information about the resources and activities available allows you to make an informed decision about selecting Costa Rica as your ideal location to enjoy an affordable, active and safe retirement.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 5th edition (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762708026
• ISBN-13: 978-0762708024
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,251,922 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book but the best on the subject., February 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Choose Costa Rica for Retirement: Retirement Discoveries for Every Budget (Paperback)

Mr. Howell's book is very well written like his book about living in Mexico. However we find Christopher Howard's "New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica" to be much better and paint a more relaistic picture of the country. Howard lives ther full time.

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This guide paints a far too rosey picture of the country, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Choose Costa Rica for Retirement: Retirement Discoveries for Every Budget (Paperback)

After having read this book, the other guides about the subject of living in Costa Rica and having resided in the country, I can categorically state this book doesn't really talk about the down side of living there. Granted the country is very nice but more info. is needed. It just doesn't cover the negatives in detail.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Honest or Objective, June 6, 2002

By	"frmokehee" (Alaska) - See all my reviews

I actually wanted to give the book less than two stars but it sparked an idea. If people will by this then I might try my hand a retirement book and actually put valuable information in it. Actually the book starts out promising enough in trying to get you interested in the country. However, its weaknesses become evident very quickly. The first weakness is a lack of objectivity. A good book will give you the good and the bad. The author here seems like a salesperson for Costa Rica.

Second weakness: the author gives far too little analysis on the issue of taxes. This subject should have a dedicated chapter. Suppose your retirement income is from mostly untaxed foreign sources and comes to $70K a year. Now if additional taxes in the country come to 30% you will pay $21,000 before you buy one single thing. If a comparable country had a 10% tax rate you could still pay $14,000 more for rent, travel, transport etc. before breaking even.

Third weakness: lack of honesty. Crime has increased in Costa Rica. The author's attempt to gloss over this was so transparent he would have been more credible if he had purposely omitted the topic. The dead give away is the authors comment "like many other countries Costa Rica has crime." He then works to minimize the issue. No statistics are given - and particularly year to year so you can see trends.

You are much better off looking up articles on the country. Just a preview: a lot of things rot or have mechanical difficulties in the humidity. Some people's idea of paradise (particularly the Germans') is spending 365 days a year smoking and drinking, and waking up with a hangover half naked on the beach in the morning.