Retire Early--And Live the Life You Want Now: A 10-Step Plan For Reinventing Your Retirement

What makes Retire Early such an outstanding guide to retirement is author John Wasik's holistic presentation and analysis of the issues and challenges in planning today for a secure, happy, and prosperous life after work. The whole concept of retirement planning is undergoing unprecedented change, because people are living much longer, healthier lives and retiring earlier, says Wasik, an award-winning consumer affairs and personal finance journalist. "Given the changes in the macroeconomy, work, longevity, families, gender roles, and the labor force, current assumptions and practices seem increasingly outmoded and inappropriate."

Bolstered by a vibrant stock market, Wasik estimates, as many as 20 million Americans will be in a financial position to leave the full-time work force in the next five years, and many will face the challenges of caring for parents and raising children, while at the same time creating new lives for themselves.

Wasik's book is not just a guide on spending, structuring income, and selecting the best investment strategies, however. It's also a well-written, user-friendly workbook with questionnaires and personal inventories designed to reveal how you spend, save, and feel about money, and then to focus your vision and sort out your feelings about the nature and tapestry of your planned retirement. In the author's words, "it's a book about creating a positive, prosperous and passionate vision for ourselves and making it come true by actively pursuing it." The book is replete with self-surveys to elicit, distill, and refine the values and passionate pursuits important to you, those that make for a full, rich, and satisfying life. Included as well are excellent sections listing additional references and resources, many available online. There's as much wisdom here about retirement planning as there is about life, and about restoring and maintaining a healthy balance, especially when charting a new course. --Scott Harrison