Customer Reviews

The Joy of Retirement: Finding Happiness, Freedom, and the Life You've Always Wanted

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For years, as a long-time family therapist and as a Presbyterian minister involved in parish ministry, I have dealt with clients and parishioners facing approaching retirement who didn't have a clue as to what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Some of them have become traumatized by indecision, while others have acted precipitously in relocating somewhere else without having any basis for choosing this particular location.....only to quickly discover that the choice they made was disappointing of wrong. In his new book, The Joy of Retirement, author David Borchard, a professional counselor with 30 years of experience in career management and transition counseling, has provided a means of helping those facing retirement to examine their own talents and dreams in creating happy, productive futures. Borchard does this by challenging those in their 50's and 60's to intentionally assess and define the pertinent issues, priorities and goals which will help them make intelligent decisions in establishing vital futures. The author provides charts, raises questions, and gives examples of how others have traveled the successful road to retirement. I heartily endorse this excellent, common-sense, challenging and very warm and human little book which offers a practical course of action for those looking to gain a hope-filled vision of what creative retirement can hold for them!

As an executive coach I have used Dave Borchard's career-focused tools to help my clients maximize their success and fulfillment, while reducing stress and balancing their lives. In The Joy of Retirement he has given us another set of tools that enable us to make sense of our complicated and sometimes contradictory feelings about retirement. Even if you have done considerable thinking about retirement this book will help you deepen and organize your thoughts.

David Borchard and Pat Donohoe have created a must-have guide for those 50 and older as they shape their "retirmenent" years. There are plenty of fine books and sources about the financial,geographic, and recreational opportunities of our later years, but The Joy of Retirement is unique. It explores the internal journey, our stories, our true passions, our unfinished business, and how we make behavioral shifts as our senior years. The assessment tools designed by Borchard give a whole picture of the self in retirement and his experience with hundreds of clients in retirement brings interest and depth to his major points.

I love this book.


Leia Francisco
Life Coach, MA, ACC
Leia Francisco Associates

Perhaps aging is really very simple. Because most of the guidance this book offers is just common sense solutions to the problems of growing old. And since one of the by-products of aging is (one can't help hoping) common sense, then it goes without saying, why bother to read this book?

Sorry, but the authors' rather simplistic style and approach put me off.

hmmm....lots of words that don't say much. Reminds me of the education textbooks of my youth. Not a good thing!

Seriously, look before you buy. You may find more useful content than I did. From my perspective, this book had little to offer.

I'm a retired therapist and stock broker currently reviewing the retirement lit for my men's support group. This book is different from the rest which are mostly financial or testimonials. It offers personality type assessments and suggests actionable ideas based on your type. Other concepts are: identity reshaping, self-realization(discover your passion), readjustment time and related issues, updating your value system, relocation considerations and assessment, your tolerance for uncertainty, and self-reflection. He offers 6 questions we all try to answer: Why am I here? How much time do I have left? What's next? How do I recreate my life? Is there something beyond life? What happens to my love ones when I'm gone? Dr. Borchard wants you to be the author of your last chapters and even offers a supportive website.

David Borchard and Pat Donohoe have provided a real gift to people anticipating the many faceted dimensions that thoughtful people deal with when they face retirement. The entire book is filled with helpful information but the quality that makes this book stand out from the rest is the many assessment lenses they provide in looking at the landscape of retirement. An instrument to assess the lifestyle options include looking at your preference for leisure, new work, stability and serenity or change and adventure. This is of particular value to couples who might hold widely divergent views around what this stage of life should look like. Pat and David make you think about roles you are leaving and and assist you in establishing new criteria for fulfillment. There is great help in scoping out location priorities and, of special value is the information they provide on relating and behavior changes that can be thought about in advance. This is really well done and I am telling everyone I know at this stage of life about this helpful contribution.

Gloria Wallace
Psychologist and Executive Coach

I've borrowed this book from my local library, but realized that I would not be able to finish it in 3 weeks -then I extended the loan but still a great book to keep as reference and do the excersices which helped a lot at the stage of my life. The author(s) are very knowledgeable and experienced. Liked the examples. I've decided to buy the book from Amazon and it was the best purchase ever! Only 1 cent and it is in almost new condition. No marks or stains. Excellent. The store front Better World Books really lives their customer serv stmt. And BWB is dedicated to the worldwide promotion of literacy. So the purchase was a win win for all.