Retirement is about change, not age.
Retirement is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be yourself and do what you want to do. It offers new possibilities for personal growth through learning, retraining, travelling and friendship. But it is also one of the biggest transitions we face, and brings huge psychological and emotional challenges. It’s not surprising that many people struggle with the adjustment to a different pace of life.
Not Fade Away guides the reader through these challenges: dealing with the loss of status and routine, reinventing relationships, managing money, and above all, finding new meaning and purpose. It brings together expert advice and insights from people retiring now, who speak from the heart about the lessons they’ve learned and the new sources of fulfilment they’ve discovered.
By cutting a clear path through the maze of choices on offer for people retiring today – which may or may not involve giving up work completely – Not Fade Away inspires you to make up your own mind and take control of your future. And that, experts agree, is the key to a good retirement.
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Mrs Julia Bateson –
I am nearly 60 and heading for retirement so this book really hits the spot.
It is a wonderful insight to the challenges and the benefits of retirement and is full of practical advice and helpful ideas.
I found the chapters on money and health really apt and the advice to get your eyes checked very relevant..I was just thinking about booking an eye check
There is advice on decluttering and down sizing – versus keeping your home. Celia says ‘make peace with the past and stop clinging to it’ I found that really motivating.
I loved the idea of turning your passions into helping the community or making money, such as tutoring.
The bullet points at the end of each chapter summarising the chapter content were really useful
I found this book changed my outlook on retirement – I have been looking at all the problems but this book gave me an unexpected and positive outlook – it’s made me feel retirement is an exciting time to look forward to; with opportunities to have adventures, new projects and fun and do things I have dreamt about doing but have never had the time to do.
It has made me start thinking about getting a boat, planning trips, writing stories, camping with wolves, going to the races and having adventures with the grandchildren.
It has been most uplifting and very, very helpful and I can see myself keeping this book as my constant companion over the coming years.
chris rowe –
I bought this at half the price that Waterstones were charging. Haven’t read it yet, but have skimmed the contents. A comprehensive and human guide to the wonders, challenges and adventures of retirement.
Harry Finch –
Some good anecdotes and pointers.
ian w –
Great book for those considering the non financial side of retirement. Really thought provoking which encourages you to ask your self some enquirying questions
WK16 –
I think this book is full of good ideas to ensure a retirement that suits you as an individual. What I was surprised by was how relevant some of the advice was to any life stage!
Hilarious –
A friend gave me Dodd’s book The Empty Nest when my only child headed off to university and I found it extremely helpful. I now face another major life event, that of deciding on retirement, so when I saw this new book serialised in a newspaper I enjoyed the extracts and decided to buy it.
It is excellent. Not only is it packed with hard information and useful suggestions, it also contains myriad personal stories. Like her other book, you feel you are able to tap in to the experiences of a broad range of people and glean insight into what retirement can mean no matter what your expectations or situation. It tackles all the difficult issues such as finances, social life, loneliness, family and feeling fulfilled. What I like about her approach is that she has gone out and found people to interview rather than merely expressing her own well-researched ideas.
I would also recommend reading Diana Athill’s memoirs concerning her retirement and decision to live in a home for the elderly – wonderful books!
DEJ –
A good introduction to the potential problems of retirement and thereafter from someone who goes beyond the obvious and covers many different scenarios. The use of UK examples rather than US was refreshing.
Tolly –
This book offers lots of advice and a selection of real-life experiences but fails to address the fact that not all older people want to live a frantic lifestyle as they age. Health issues, financial constraints etc…often prevent people from following their dreams, the same as they did when they were younger.
Take from it what you can but don’t think it’s a magic bullet when facing the inescapable fact that we ALL ‘fade away’ in the end. Being in denail about that can only cause problems. The reality is that the majority of people, whilst wanting to remain active, still look forward to doing a lot less and getting off the merry-go-round.
What’s wrong with taking time out just to be mindful and smell the roses??