SIX MONTHS OFF: How To Plan, Negotiate, & Take The Break You Need Without Burning Bridges Or Going Broke [Paperback]

Hope Dlugozima (Author), James Scott (Author), David Sharp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1996

Six Months Off is a complete guide to planning and taking the break you've been dreaming of, without losing your job or your nest egg, or alienating your family and friends.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Is there a way to take the break you long for--the archaeological dig in Costa Rica, the film-making course in Los Angeles, the six-month hike along the coast of Newfoundland--without sacrificing your home, family, career, and savings? You bet. For every excuse you've ever harbored as to why you can't fulfill your heart's desires, the authors have a solution. This is a take-action, how-to book for any grown-up who still believes in summer vacations.

From Library Journal

Amid the profusion of career titles aimed at helping workers manage their time, improve their communication skills, land a better job, and so on comes a book that advocates taking time off. The idea is not as crazy as it may sound. The authors interviewed hundreds of workers who have taken leaves of absence and representatives of companies that encourage the practice. Dlugozima, James Scott, and David Shard, all journalists who themselves took time off to do the research for this book, make a strong argument for nonacademic sabbaticals: break-takers improve their mental health, pursue new personal and professional challenges, and "recharge their batteries" in preparation for their return to work. Companies can realize numerous benefits, including increased worker satisfaction and decreased attrition of valued employees. The authors cover many bases, including financing, negotiating, identifying sabbatical opportunities, "jump-starting a career," and "engineering a smooth landing" upon return to work. Writing informally, they provide a variety of intriguing notions and inspiring case studies. Those contemplating sabbaticals and human resource personnel considering the adoption of such opportunities will find this to be a delightful resource.?Alan J. Farber, Northern Illinois Univ., DeKalb
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (January 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805037454
• ISBN-13: 978-0805037456
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one cool book!, October 2, 2000

By 

L. Feld "lowkell" (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SIX MONTHS OFF: How To Plan, Negotiate, & Take The Break You Need Without Burning Bridges Or Going Broke (Paperback)

If polls are to be believed, nearly 70% of people with incomes of $40,000 or more a year (that's tens of millions of people out there) fantasize about taking time off from work (besides the standard 2-week vacation). Well, my wife and I were two of those people just a few years ago, feeling tired and burned out after almost 10 years in our jobs, and just basically in need of a break big-time. Plus, some friends of ours had taken a year off to travel the world, and we thought that would be awesome, since we both loved to travel and wanted to do a lot more of it before we "settled down" or got too much older. But how? I'm not saying it was simple or for everybody, but it CAN be done, and Six Months Off helped show us how.

Actually, my wife and I ended up taking MORE than 6 months off (by 2 months, to be exact). During our time off, we were on "Leave Without Pay" from our jobs, which we negotiated with our employers, but were still covered by health insurance. Mainly, we traveled: around Central and South America, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. We also took immersion Spanish classes and lived with local families in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, took some time to travel the United States (mainly through Kentucky, Tennessee, and down the Mississippi River to New Orleans). We rented out our condo, put our stuff in storage, called the IRS to find out what we needed to do as far as taxes were concerned, and found someone (my father) to handle our finances/personal affairs while we were gone. In all of this, Six Months Off was a great help in planning, as well as in knowing what to expect in terms of expenses and a million other things, including adjusting back into the "real world" when our sabbatical was over! Budgeting (we didn't go broke) is important, of course, as is health care, insurance, and having a job when you get back (although some decide to just wing it and look for a job after -- or more accurately, IF -- they come back).

Basically, we probably could have figured most of what we needed to do on our own, but Six Months Off (and other resources, like friends) were extremely helpful in making things go more smoothly. Many people dream of taking time off to pursue a dream, but very few actually do it. Six Months Off shows you how you CAN do it, and leads you through it step by step. I strongly recommend this book, and I strongly recommend taking Six Months Off if at all possible! What an amazing experience!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most complete sabbatical book ever, November 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: SIX MONTHS OFF: How To Plan, Negotiate, & Take The Break You Need Without Burning Bridges Or Going Broke (Paperback)

I found Six Months Off to be a phenomenal help in planning a sabbatical. The book gave me an an entire, but concise, philosophy or way of thinking about my sabbatical. The book also gave me a concrete and useful strategy for planning the sabbatical, covering ALL the bases from how to tell my boss to how to save money to places to help plan the actual time off and, then, finally for how I could re-enter the work force again. Truly phenomenal. The authors, led by Hope Dlugozima, have hit a home run with me.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prepare For Travel Fever!, August 9, 2004

By 

Terry Smith "http://terrysmith.net -- http:/... (Little Rock, AR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SIX MONTHS OFF: How To Plan, Negotiate, & Take The Break You Need Without Burning Bridges Or Going Broke (Paperback)

Six Months Off is an extremely inspiring and informative book. Once you start reading this book, plan on having travel fever! The authors do a great job explaining why you should take a break from your boring, dull, repetitive job and expand your mind and grow as a person by taking time to traveling the world, write a novel, go to cooking school, or attend some other educational program. Not only do the authors convince you to do these things, and list great programs to look into, but they also describe HOW to do it, in realistic terms. The book is full of case study examples of people from various backgrounds and income levels (including very low income levels) who found the ways and means to accomplish a sabbatical and return back to their former lives afterwards (for those who wanted to return anyway). Don't doubt that you can this. The authors show you how step-by-step. The sample programs and opportunities listed in the book can't be overlooked either. Not only am I looking into some of them now, but I also plan to use this book in the future for other great adventure ideas. Live is very short, and this book will help you make the most it.