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Lifestyle

Aging Well: Guideposts to a Happier Life by George E. Vaillant, MD Published by Little, Brown (2003) An inspiring book from the US to help you ensure that your golden years are truly golden. Based on more than 50 years of research carried out at the Harvard Medical School.

Downshifting: The Bestselling Guide to Happier, Simpler Living   by Polly Ghazi and Judy Jones Published by Hodder and Stoughton (2004)

How to be Free   by Tom Hodgkinson Published by Hamish hamilton (2006) Have you ever wondered why you bother to go to work? What stops us from doing what we want to do? Whether there might be a better, freer, happier way to live our lives? This joyful read teaches us how to throw off the shackles of anxiety, bureaucracy, debt, housework, pain, poverty, waste and much else, and lead more creative and fulfilling lives.

If Not Now, When?   by Esther Rantzen Published by Headline Springboard (2008) In her typical style, Esther Rantzen exhorts her fellow babyboomers not to go gently into old age and provides practical advice on how to do it. It’s never too late to take up hang-gliding, swim with dolphins and a host of other things. Rather like Marmite, you either like or loathe the somewhat opinionated, Esther-knows-best approach but her heart’s always in the right place.

Is It Too Late to Run Away and Join the Circus?: A Guide for Your Second Life   by Marti Smye Published by John Wiley (2005) Renowned US thought-leader and corporate change specialist shows you how to make the right career choice to fit any lifestyle. If you’re still grappling with what to do when you grow up, this could be worth reading. More motivational than practical for the UK market.

Start Late, Finish Rich: A No-fail Plan for Achieving Financial Freedom at Any Age   by David Bach Published by Penguin Books (2006)

The Book of Rubbish Ideas: An interactive, room-by-room, guide to reducing household waste.   by Tracey Smith Published by Alastair Sawday Publishing (2008) Billed as “an interactive room-by-room guide to reducing household waste” this interesting, informative and highly motivational little book couldn't be timelier in terms of giving you all the information you need to start cutting back. Author and sustainable living expert Tracey Smith (the founder of International Downshifting Week) wants to normalise sustainable living and “take the freaky out of eco” and here she does so most admirably in an extremely readable and accessible tour through each and every room in your house - and outdoor spaces - all in the name of reducing household waste.  From bedroom to bathroom and study to shed, she has a host of tried, tested and inexpensive ideas for cutting through the clutter to reveal a greener and simpler way of life. From thrifty ideas to help you through to credit crunch to combating that shopping addiction The Book of Rubbish Ideas is a positive guide to slowing down and greening up, and saving money along the way.

The Freedom Years: Tactical Tips for the Trailblazer Generation   by Michael Shea Published by CapstonePublishing (2006) An inspiring and amusing look at some of the challenges and opportunities mature people face as they make the transition from work to retirement. ‘It's not three score years and ten anymore; it's four score years and ten - Michael Shea has great plans for you for those extra twenty years.’  Sir David Frost

The Rainbow Years: The Pluses of Being 50+ (Management, Policy & Education)   by Barrie Hopson and Mike Scally Published by Middlesex University Press (2008) Interactive and fun, The Rainbow Years is designed and written to provide a wealth of information, ideas and activities to help all of us over 50 live our lives the way we want to now. The authors have identified seven key areas of life – work, money, health, relationships, learning, leisure and spirituality – and within each section provide up to date research data, self-assessment activities and exercises, plus detailed signposts towards other resources and information. This is a book that is literally crammed with information. Read it, do the exercises, engage with it, and you’re certain to end up crammed with inspiration.

Too Young to Retire: An Off-The Road Map to the Rest of Your Life   by Marika and Howard Stone Published by Plume (2004) A very American look at retirement alternatives – work, lifestyle, personal development, money, volunteering or fitness. An okay read but not that useful in terms of general principles but not that useful for practical information for UK  in my primers.

The Good Non Retirement Guide 2011: Everything You Need to Know About Health Property Investment Leisure Work Pensions and Tax   by Frances Kay Published by Kogan Page (2011) An indispensable mine of useful information dealing with all aspects of retirement.

Your Retirement Masterplan: How to Ensure You Have a Fulfilling and Enjoyable Third Age   by Jim Green Published by How to Books (2006) A wide-ranging handbook giving practical advice on how to turn retirement into an extra lease of life  - written by someone who did just that.