55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better LifeA practical plan for the millions of people in their fifties and sixties who find themselves out of work, unable to find a job, and financially incapable of retiring, Elizabeth White shows how to get past any blame or shame, overcome denial, and find a path to a new normal. Elizabeth White has an impressive resume, which includes advanced degrees from Harvard and Johns Hopkins and a distinguished employment history. She started a business that failed and then tried to reenter the work force in her mid-fifties, only to learn that there is little demand for workers her age. For a while Elizabeth lived in denial, but then had to adjust to her new reality, shedding the gym membership, getting a roommate, forgoing restaurant meals, and so on. She soon learned she wasn’t alone: there are millions of Americans in her predicament and worse, exhausted from trying to survive and overcome every day. In 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal, Elizabeth invites you to look beyond your immediate circumstances to what is possible in the new normal of financial insecurity. You’re in your fifties and sixties, and may have saved nothing or not nearly enough to retire. It’s too late for blame or shame—and it wouldn’t help anyway. What you want to know is what you can do now to have a shot at a decent retirement. “This relevant and well-researched book will appeal not only to those 55 plus, but to the generation coming right behind them who may face similar issues” (Booklist, starred review). 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal is a must-have for anyone whose income has suddenly diminished or even disappeared. “Providing practical solutions with a focus on retirement and maximizing savings, White maintains authority with a realistic, empathetic tone throughout. This deeply useful work will resonate with aging readers of all income levels and situations” (Publishers Weekly). If you’re ready to get serious about feeling good again, this book is for you. |
Contents
About Me | 1 |
Preface You Know Her | 7 |
Lost Ashamed and Shellshocked | 9 |
Oldschool Wisdom from an Elderly Black Woman | 23 |
You Call This Retirement? | 29 |
After a Lifetime of Work How Did We Land Here? | 45 |
Grabbing Denial by the Lapels | 63 |
Rethinking Limits Lack and Deprivation | 79 |
The Changing World of Work | 131 |
Thinking Outside the Box Country | 171 |
Retirement Security Requires Housing Security | 191 |
Strategic Responses to Housing | 225 |
Conclusion | 239 |
Acknowledgments | 241 |
Notes | 243 |
| 255 | |
Other editions - View all
55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life Elizabeth White Limited preview - 2019 |
55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life Elizabeth White No preview available - 2019 |
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