Retire & Thrive: Remarkable People, Age 50 Plus, Share Their Creative, Productive & Profitable Retirement Strategies [Paperback]

Robert K. Otterbourg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2003

Whether readers are approaching traditional retirement age or planning or forced to exit early, this book will help them take charge by offering dozens of inspirational profiles of people who have already done it, current demographic and trend information that helps put things in perspective, and plenty of resources for readers to tap.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Lots of books tell you how to save for retirement. Retire & Thrive tells you how to have a fun, productive time with those 2,000 extra hours each year! --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From the Preface: When I receive The Scene, Colgate University's alumni newspaper, I first turn to the class note section. I've always enjoyed reading about the achievements of classmates. That's how it went for nearly 35 years. Then something happened. These same dynamic classmates switched the tone of their correspondence-from career to retirement. One sold his business, packed up and moved to Florida. Another opted for early retirement and reported that he was golfing every day. Still others chatted about activities I couldn't imagine being part of my lifestyle. What they were doing seemed to me to be about as enjoyable as a month of Sundays. How, I wondered, do they fill the 2,000 to 2,500 hours or more a year that they once devoted to their careers? Why would anyone even want to retire? I had never considered retirement, not even when I exited the public relations field to become a writer. With those musings, the die was cast. The result is Retire & Thrive, a source of ideas, reassurance and inspiration for those who want to catch a second wind in "retirement," however and whenever it comes. The first edition of this book was published in 1995. I initially intended to focus on people 55 to 65 years old, including those who became victims of corporate downsizing and its close kin, early retirement, as well as those who elected to work indefinitely and not retire. I soon found that I was limiting my editorial horizons by excluding those ages 50 to 54, many of whom were losing their jobs or prematurely retiring. As a result, I packaged everyone from ages 50 to 65 into what I called the 50-plus set. By using age 50 as the starting point, I deliberately set a trap for the older members of the baby-boomer generation, who would begin to turn 50 in 1996. They, too, should be asking, "What's next?" A generation ago, an out-of-work 52-year-old executive would most likely have found an equivalent or even better new job. Early retirement in the face of lay-offs and downsizing weren't common occurrences. The message is now loud and clear for those severed from the workplace: To survive, they need to adopt different career and lifestyle objectives. In looking for another job, chances are they won't be able to duplicate the one they just lost. Furthermore, within the employment marketplace there is little discernible difference between a 52-year-old and a person ten years older. For those who are resourceful, inventive and willing to do things differently, the future is bright. The others have less reason to be cheery. This second edition reflects the mood of the late 1990s. It recognizes: -- the extent to which computers and data communications have really come of age; -- that baby boomers, who vowed never to "trust anyone over 30," have begun to turn 50 and are actively considering future workplace and lifestyle alternatives; -- that, as Americans live longer, the 50-year-old as well as the 65-year-old are helpmates to one or both living parents, and may be paying college tuition and wedding expenses for their children, too. The first chapter sets the stage by exploring attitudes about retirement and describing a number of 50-plus-set trends. Chapter 2 discusses how to plan for these life events. The next three chapters concentrate on what I find are the three most vibrant non-work activities: becoming a student, working as a volunteer and pursuing a hobby. The concluding chapters focus on the dynamics in the workplace: staying on, though very likely with a change of pace or focus; changing careers or becoming self-employed; or escaping from retirement and returning to the workplace. The editorial guideline for Retire & Thrive is clear-cut. The introductory part of each chapter highlights societal and demographic information, and relevant how-to information; the balance of the chapter is given to human-interest profiles. The anecdotal profiles support the theme of each chapter. They are organized so you learn what 50-plus set people are presently doing and, just as important, the different routes they took to reach their present lifestyle. Don't for a moment think that this book profiles only the affluent. Several are wealthy. But nearly all the others, even those with secure pensions and sound investments, are living on smaller incomes than when they were in the workforce. While financial issues are right up there in your mind as retirement looms, dealing with them isn't this book's primary thrust. Finding ways to make the most of your time and energy is the goal. I had initially hoped to profile an equal number of men and women. Unfortunately, the potential pool of women executives and professionals in the 50-plus set is still comparatively small. Few newsmakers are profiled. Why interview the rich and famous when we can profile people just like you who have produced real-life solutions in their 50-plus set years? The people profiled in this book are discovering and implementing different lifestyle plans. Some of the solutions might lead you to think that 50-plus-set members are dabblers. Hardly the case. A retiree might work as a part-time professional three days a week, serve as a volunteer two mornings and then spend an equal amount of time with a hobby. More often than not, these people have selected a lifestyle that includes a combination of interests described so wonderfully by futurist Charles Handy (profiled on Chapter 2) in The Age of Unreason as "portfolio careers." The people in Retire & Thrive are, in a special sense, adventurers. They reinvented themselves. Some developed new skills, but most took existing talents and reshaped them to meet new objectives. The people you are about to meet, regardless of their interests, are all active and energetic. None are "couch potatoes." They thrive on variables in an environment where it is no longer business as usual. If nothing more, the 50-plus set adheres to the sentiments that Frank Sinatra lyrically depicted in "My Way": "And more, much more than this, I did it my way." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: Kiplinger Books (October 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938721372
• ISBN-13: 978-0938721376
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,836,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource!, May 8, 2001

By 

"lolalu" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Retire & Thrive, Second Edition (Hardcover)

After more than 20 years in career consulting, I've gotten quite picky about which books I'm willing to add to a huge collection. "Retire and Thrive" came home with me for several reasons:

1) It has specific, real world examples of people who retired, semi-retired, bounced back to employment and/or found joy in hobbies, education and volunteer service. 2) It has hints, tips and data to back them up, especially in the financial planning section at the end. 3) It's realistic about financing dreams and what that takes to make them a reality. 4) There's a wealth of links and resources to associations, publications, and suggested readings. 5) The format is varied, so it's not just long pages of text; easy on the eye print for aging baby boomers {wry grin.}

All said and done, it's a valuable resource which I recommend.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Retire and . . . what?, November 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Retire & Thrive, Second Edition (Hardcover)

If you learn by example this book is for you. It is filled with stories about other people who have successfully made the transition from one long term career to another. Supposedly this proves that it can be done. However, the book is also laced with statistics and other information that will make you think twice about trying. Rather than giving encouragement, as the title suggests, this book is really quite frightening. It is not a "how to" book. Nor did I find it helpful.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real world guidance for real world challenges, November 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Retire & Thrive, Second Edition (Hardcover)

I found Otterbourg's Retire and Thrive a wonderfully refreshing change from all the career and life advice books. Easy to read. I felt like he and the people he profiled were sitting in my living room simply chatting with me about their experiences. His profiles of people who have "been there" gave real world suggestions. Reading the book was like having two dozen mentors offering guidance about how to deal with real world challenges.

I especially liked the profiles that told why the person made the life changes they made...some of the changes were forced on them (downsizing, illness, etc.) but even more often they chose the changes and had the courage take the big step.

Highly recommend Retire and Thrive. Also, should be part of any career counselor's library on any educational level. Good example to young people that life isn't over at 30, 40, 50 or beyond.