Customer Reviews

Claiming Your Place at the Fire: Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose

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You can grow old in the darkness of night or grow alive in the light of your sun--your choice. Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro take you by the hand and help you see how to let go of the things that don't bring you alive and replace them with things that do. Can it really be that simple? You decide.

CLAIMING YOUR PLACE AT THE FIRE lets you see how to believe that every second of human life is valuable. And, oh how our needy world needs the best of every single one of us. If you can answer a telephone and speak, you can volunteer for a prayer line where people call for comfort in times of turmoil and are so grateful when they get a live person.

When you are tempted to give in to your aches and pains, do remember Stephen Hawking, our modern day Einstein confined to a wheel chair, who had a body that was unable to respond to him. So, he used to the fullest what was able to respond to him, his mind, and blessed the entire universe with his wisdom.

Best of all, CLAIMING YOUR PLACE AT THE FIRE makes you feel warm and comfortable about walking your path instead of so afraid of what will happen to you.

If you've 'tripped over the human 50-yard line' ... then this book is definitely for you. I personally wish I would have been wise enough to understand it's deeper meanings 20 years ago - but that would not have happened. The words and wisdom of this book are just not for the younger years. But as the book shows, it is our - those of us who now find ourselves, by age and experience, at the edge of the fire - responsibility to pass on - as mentors - to the younger generation the most important piece of advice they can get: "You will one day be here, prepare now."

A must read for every man and woman over 50 years of age. This is a guide book for

+ WHY you should look forward to living past 50,
+ What you should have been doing before you got here
+ How to make the most of your Life Learnings
+ Where you are now and in the remaining years of your life
+ Who your focus will be on from now on: giving of your Life Learnings to the younger generation

This is what those 'hot-dog roasting fires' were meant to be! Go read the book. Then go build a fire and roast some hot-dogs, make some smoores and gather your friends to enjoy. The rest will come as the embers begin to glow. So will you.

To retire or refire? What does the future hold? "Claiming Your Place at the Fire" helps us ask the right questions as we try to make sense out of and find meaning in the second half of our lives. It is full of insight on how to do that in a way that makes sense for a variety of people in all sorts of situations. It was very helpful to me as I weigh the options in my life and work. Thought provoking and conversation starting.

(This is not written by Michael, but rather Leslie Goldberg) Anyway, I was very very disappointed to realize that this book contains no examples of self-actualizing women, women who are "growing whole instead of old." It focuses entirely on men. This society is tough on older men but is down right brutal in its attitude toward older women. You see it every where. Turn on the TV there's an older man paired with an attractive young woman. Older women are not invited. In commercials I've seen older women punched in the face, kicked and in one, run over by a truck. But usually we just invisible. In that sense this book isn't part of the solution it's part of the problem.

As one who has benefited from Richard Leider's work during my own mid-life transition, this new work takes us into new (yet old) territory and reminds us of what's been lost in our society and in ourselves through the industrial era. The best is yet to be . . . and let Leider & Shapiro be your journey partners!

I gave this as a gift...and she loves this book!