Portfolio Life: The New Path to Work, Purpose, and Passion After 50 [Hardcover]

David D. Corbett (Author), Richard Higgins (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2006

Praise for Portfolio Life

"Dave Corbett's book turns two simple ideas into a program for life-enrichment, that you can create a life expressly for yourself and that the so-called retirement years are the best time to do it. Drawing on a lifetime of work with people who were rethinking what they wanted and their direction, he shows how to do both those things. Be warned: If you read the book, you're going to be changed. But I think you'll like how you turn out."
--Bill Bridges, author, Transitions and Job Shift

"Dave's book reveals a powerful and profound formula for crafting a genuinely rich life. If you agree that retirement is pass?, and you are a lifelong learner and have a desire to make your life count in a deeply fulfilling way, you will love this book."
--Fred Harburg, former chief learning officer and president, Motorola University

"Healthy, fit, financially secure, and happy for another 40 years? Is there really that kind of gold over 'them thar' hills? Yes, and Portfolio Life is the guide, leading boomers to a life path never before traveled by so many. Don't pass 50 without it."
--Natalie Jacobson, news anchor, WCVB-TV Boston

"This is the work of a wise, thoughtful author with decades of experience helping people be more successful in the next chapter of their lives. It will help you embrace change and explore the possibilities that come with an additional 20 to 30 productive years to be designed and lived on your own terms."
--Anne Szostak, chairman, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America

"This timely book should be read by anyone of any age who wants his or her life to have meaning and purpose beyond the accumulation of money and things."
--Millard Fuller, founder, Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the boomer generation's hair turns gray, it's not surprising to see retirement advice books like this one, which argues against conventional scenarios. As founder and CEO of New Directions, which coaches older workers on making the transition from working to life after a career, author Corbett points out that boomers' longer life expectancy and better health means that reprioritizing may be more rewarding than simply stopping working. In his first few chapters, Corbett discusses why the concept of retirement needs to be retired, then quickly moves to his central proposal. He encourages readers to focus on building a portfolio of skills, which allows them to shuffle their skills in the same way they would remix a financial portfolio, rather than follow a linear career trajectory. Instead of abandoning work altogether, people can refocus later in life on the preferred skills and meaningful pursuits that suit them best. This insightful and readable book provides not only a convincing argument for the portfolio concept but also concrete instructions on how to get started. If there's a drawback, it's that the subtitle dismisses younger readers who could benefit by putting this plan into action long before reaching age 50. (Nov.)
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From the Inside Flap

We are not only living longer and healthier lives; those of us over 50 are tackling a life stage that did not exist twenty-five years ago—a new arena that could last three or four decades after our initial careers have ended.

In this groundbreaking book, David Corbett, a thought leader on life transitions for executives and professionals, offers a compelling alternative to traditional retirement. Portfolio Life shows how to adopt a new way of thinking and living in extended middle age. This period was once relegated to winding down, but now it holds the promise of our most significant and passionate years, a time when we can be ourselves and contribute. Corbett describes a "life portfolio"—a balanced mix of work, learning, leisure, family time, and giving back that individuals tailor to their personality and goals. Using compelling stories, the book shows how to allocate one's time and energy among competing needs and personal dreams. The author includes advice on discovering our callings, the entrepreneurial spirit, spirituality, the role of legacy, and more.

Corbett elaborates a disciplined, step-by-step process for creating a life portfolio. He explores long- and short-term portfolio planning, offering practical suggestions and exercises. He also shows how to deal with the emotional turbulence that is inevitable in this transition. Portfolio Life is a guide not to surviving but to flourishing after careers end. Corbett holds that a life portfolio touches on what is really worth living for—those goals and purposes we need to call to mind throughout life's journey.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (November 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078798356X
• ISBN-13: 978-0787983567
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Retirement Book, January 2, 2007

By 

Raymond A. Nash Jr. "Retired Aerospace Executive" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Portfolio Life: The New Path to Work, Purpose, and Passion After 50 (Hardcover)

Conventional retirement books tend to focus on the event of the end of normal full-time employment, followed by some sort of activity-oriented shift into hobbies and possibly consulting and/or Board Membership. On the other hand, Portfolio Life makes the reader focus on thinking about how we want to spend our time, what balance of activities would be fulfilling, and what rewards (psychic and material) we expect. It suggests not an activity-oriented process, but rather what might be called a liberal enlightenment process. If done successfully, it provides a road map (admittedly and rightfully being updated from time to time) for the rest of our lives. And in Portfolio Life, Corbett provides the reader with useful and practical advice to manage the process and come up with a strategy that can be implemented.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to beat senior boredom, December 9, 2006

By 

TL Griffin (Mt Kisco, NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Portfolio Life: The New Path to Work, Purpose, and Passion After 50 (Hardcover)

With clarity, good humor and remarkable insight, Corbett provides a simple and smart perspective on the primary issue hitting my "senior" generation - "What do I do next?" He not only identifies the issues we (I) face - but maps out a thought provoking way to build a balanced plan for our remaining decades that is based on our own priorities. It was a much appreciated gift.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More effective and cheaper than a life coach, November 9, 2007

By 

L. D Sears (El Paso, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Portfolio Life: The New Path to Work, Purpose, and Passion After 50 (Hardcover)

David Corbett's Portfolio Life was a breath of real fresh air to me. My own retirement had been a muddled mess for a year or more when this book was suggested to me. Read in consort with Marc Freeman's Encore, it will stir your imagination to a better understanding of the creative possibilities of this next stage of life. I cannot recommend it enough and do, in fact, recommend it to people on almost a daily basis.