Five-Star Book Kicks Retirement Blahs

Energize Your Retirement: Stories of Passionate Pursuits
Christine Sparacino http://www.christinesparacino.com/book/
Subject: Retirement
ISBN: 978-0-9905669-2-2
Available on Amazon.
Five Stars

Reviewed by Doug Nordman originally for Goodreads

I've read literally dozens of retirement books, and this is the most constructive one yet! One of the "problems" with retirement books is that many of the authors are not retired. They pontificate about the psychology or the health issues or the lifestyle without truly experiencing the challenges of a retired life. They quote studies or surveys that have already been thoroughly debunked by real retirees on Internet forums. I've been retired for over 12 years and I can quickly spot an "advisor" who lacks personal retirement experience.

Christine Sparacino neatly resolves this issue by interviewing over two dozen happy, healthy, fulfilled, successful retirees. Their ages range from their 50s to their 70s. Each person (or couple) has a passion that they retired for, and they've become experts at their new lifestyle. Some of them are coping with medical issues or old age, and they've adapted to make the best of their activity. Most of them spend very little money to enjoy their interests, and several of them generate enough revenue from their creativity to more than pay for their materials and equipment.

Ms. Sparacino adds information from websites, reference books, and other resources to help you decide whether to pursue these interests. You'll also find your inspiration for other lifestyles and hobbies that are mentioned in passing. The stories are not all rainbows and unicorns. Some retirees tried several different activities to find the ones they love. Others are limited by health or endurance and had to find ways to change or cut back. One woman did extensive research on non-profit bards before she found a match for her interests. Yet they've all found something that they enjoy, and they know exactly what they want.

My readers worry about retirement and the question "But... what will I do all day?!" Now they have plenty of answers to research

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.