Customer Reviews

Work Less, Live More: The Way to Semi-Retirement

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As one of the early semi-retirees profiled in the book and related to the author, it would be fair to suspect my recommendations here, but I can assure you that Bob has written a complete and concise book addressing the issues to be faced if you wish to break out of the day to day grind of the modern day work force. It may seem like I would be automatically privy to all of this information by virtue of my relation, but the plain truth is that I needed this book, especially the detailed information about where to put my money to make it work the hardest for me. All of the theories and studies from the last 75 years have been boiled down to easily digested and implemented solutions, which I am now in the process of carrying out. Bob also addresses lifestyle issues that I am currently going through, and it helps to know that I am not unique in the problems I am facing regarding constructive use of my time and mind. This information alone is important to all retirees, early or not. It is critical to all humans that we have something stimulating to do every day to avoid sliding into early dementia and depression. Bob covers these subjects and more from an experienced point of view. (This is not to infer that he suffers from dementia, at least not the type brought on by early retirement!)

Bottom line is that for the price of 3 Happy Meals you can set an incredible foundation for the rest of your life, no matter when you actually leave the work force.

I have read many retirement books and this is the most well organized and clearly written of them. This is one that you will want to keep handy for reference. It has given me the assurance that I need to take a major step towards semi-retirement. I also emailed the author and received a gracious and helpful reply!

This is the most useful and carefully written of literally dozens of
books on retirement and financial planning I've read. As a writer myself
I appreciate how hard it is to write so clearly and concisely about
complex matters. There's a tremendous amount of research and expertise
backing up every section of the book, and the investment planning section
in particular is superb.

Mr. Clyatt's expertise is made all the more accessible by his obvious
warmth and compassion for the difficulties faced by anyone contemplating
a full or partial retreat from the world of full-time work.

I found WORK LESS, LIVE MORE an informative and (for me) surprisingly interesting read. The book is a well-researched financial how-to guide as well as a candid lifestyle book. The author (who actually did retire early) includes financial advice and investment strategies to use while planning for retirement, but he doesn't stop there - the book also explains how to make the most of early retirement once you get there.

It's thoughtful organization and index make it easy to skip through the book, reading only the sections you really need.

This book is great and the author goes out of his way to assist with any questions.

He gives you his personal Email and answers all questions promptly.

He has helped me with numerous questions about retirement.

Give it a try, you'll be a lot smarter about how to handle this difficult subject.

Joe

As an intro to the topic of retiring early and managing your money and time, this book is a great introduction to the topic and includes numerous references to more in-depth resources. It's also a good overview/review for those who have read many of the other entries in this general field. Previously I recommended one of Edmunds's books (How To Retire Early And Live Well With Less Than A Million Dollars) to people needing an introductory book ; I will now recommend this one first.

To follow up you really need to read Bernstein's "The Intelligent Asset Allocator" if you are technically inclined, or Bernstein's newer book if you are less into the numbers and mechanics of actually living off of your money.

Vctr113062: Work Less, Live More: The New Way To Retire Early by first time author and part time equity advisor Bob Clyatt is an informed and informative guide to finding the right career for anybody age twenty and up, even those already retired. Work Less, Live More offers a plethora of relaxed solutions to the melancholy and tedium of everyday hard work, with clever techniques for finding a suitable early semi-retirement plan.
Vctr113062: Very highly recommended for everybody seeking an alternative to their currently dissatisfactory career and better, more fulfilling lives. Work Less, Live More is an ideal read.

If you are thinking about an exit strategy or if you've made the exist and wondering what you've done and how to make it work this book can give you answers. I also recommend it's complementary work book. The Work Less, Live More Workbook: Get Ready for Semi-Retirement (with CD-Rom) Granted this was pre-super recession 2008. I still think it offers a lot of good and relevant advice. I only gave it 4 stars because I'm not entirely sure the major investment strategy it strongly proposes is as sound as it seemed pre-2008.

My wife and I were looking to either retiring or at least semi-retiring and we got some excellent information, hope and encouragement from this book and it's companion workbook/CD. It's really not just for the young and independently wealthy as one reviewer eludes, we're neither. We did own our own business and have since sold that business and launched into retirement. After a year of doing what I want when I want, not being on call, or catering to others, EVEN if I end up eating beans until I die, I would not go back. Viva Liberte!

For some of us, work is a pleasure; it's more recreation than labor. If anything, it's a labor of love.

For most of us, however, work is a drag. It's a place to earn enough money to sustain our lifestyle, while trying to avoid the sharks in the business world---the micro-managers, the backstabbers, and the bosses from hell who undermine your efforts on a daily basis. For those people, Bob Clyatt has some great advice for escaping the rat race, before the rats take over.

The advice is solid, especially if you're trying to get by with less material possessions; don't waste money on a bunch of stuff that really doesn't add value to your life. Enjoy the simple pleasures, because "free" is the best bargain available.

Another great book to help you prioritize what's important in your life is Richard Koch's The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success by Achieving More with Less. Together, they can help you get the most out of life; especially if you're looking to reduce the number of hours spent on that thing called "work".

I read this book cover to cover after getting it and am now going through it more slowly, taking notes on all the useful bits of advice. To be honest, I'd never thought about "semi-retirement" until I heard of this book, and it's proved to be the one idea that excites me.

The tone is pitched just right for people who have been saving and investing for years and are informed but still need some basic guidance for this new period of life. The book gives you strong kudos for living below your means and then helps you figure out how that translates into leaving the rat race earlier than you could ever have hoped for. I especially liked the chapters "Put Your Investing on Autopilot," "Take 4% Forever," and "Do Anything You Want, But Do Something." Each of them have very specific advice, examples, and resources and appealed to me in their simplicity.

I really couldn't have found a better book as I contemplate leaving corporate America at age 48, and I plan to refer back to it many times. Now I feel more ready and excited "to pursue the rest of my life"...