Passages of Retirement: Personal Histories of Struggle and Success (Contributions to the Study of Aging)

This innovative volume presents the personal aspects of retirement--the feelings, pleasures, and problems of this life event, expressed in the words of retirees. The author considers work patterns prior to retirement, the decision-making process itself, and the aftermath of the decision to retire. This passage of worker to retiree addresses concerns and questions that are important to many of those about to retire: how working conditions and other factors can affect the decision to retire; problems of a workaholic; how to handle leisure interests on a full-time basis; widowhood and retirement; depression; retirement insurance; mandatory retirement; volunteer work; and many other topics. The retirees include men and women who are blue- and white-collar workers, hourly paid or salaried: CEO of a major international corporation; social worker; college instructor; dentist; journalist; production controller in manufacturing; automobile dealer. Thus readers can easily identify with others who have made this journey before them and share their experiences, becoming more knowledgeable and more confident about their futures.