Looking Forward: An Optimist's Guide to Retirement
It is no surprise that the "graying of America" has generated a multitude of retirement guides. But as her subtitle suggests, Freudenheim's is more optimistic than most, with a cheery, encouraging text and a sprinkling of cartoon art that lightens the subject without minimizing its importance. Coverage of financial issues isn't one of the strong points here (even the author suggests using other resources and counselors), but Freudenheim includes several topics ignored in other books: a look at spirituality, for example, a term that encompasses much more than a commitment to organized religion. She also offers an excellent chapter on voluntarism. Readers may be tempted to fill in the occasional write-in exercises, but that is far outweighed by the author's practical counsel and her excellent selection of further resources, which many will want to consult before they embark on their possibility-filled journey into the "Retirement Zone."Stephanie ZvirinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved