Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor

I agree with all the author was saying about retirement. It's a time to reinvent yourself and pursue hobbies, or even new careers. The author proves that one does not need $500,00 in an IRA to retire. Ernie's book shows the way to enjoyment of life!!!

I am intending to retire in less than a year. A friend recommended that I read this book. He was right! Everyone thinks of the economic aspect of retirement and give little time to planning how to use the more important aspect: time. As I read this book realized that my many interests beyond my occupation will help me fill my time. It is an important read for anyone who plans on retiring, especially if your current job defines who you are.

Sister recommended this book as I'm trying to learn to play as a retiree....too many years with nose to the grindstone and started working at a very young age. Gives you lots to think about. I'm recommending it to my half brother next.

My wife retired early and I semi retired which always has us worrying if we made the right decision. This book is different then ones written by financial advisors. We found it refreshing to hear a different side to retirement.

What a marvelous and thought provoking book. I'm not planning a conventional retirement anytime soon but feel much better prepared having read this inspiring book. Much wonderful advice for life NOW, not just in retirement. This book encourages you to find what will be life enhancing for you -not your colleagues or your neighbor- then act on it with zest and brio. BRAVO!

This book is exactly what I've been looking for for a year and a half. After practicing Law for 11 years & then teaching kindergarten for 18 years, I had no real idea what I wanted to do when I retired from teaching in 2013. This book has given me a philosophy and a framework with which to fashion the Retirement I want & can enjoy to the fullest. I recommend it to anyone who is contemplating retirement, or who is already retired & wondering what to do next.

For someone thinking about retirement, there is a wealth of insight. Some of it obvious, some of it novel. But, even the obvious bares reinforcing. The move from work to pure enjoyment of life is something we are not prepared for in any meaning full way. Lots of companies eager for our managment fees tell us how to plan financial for retirement, but few tell us who to enjoy life when we do. We are often full misconceptions about what enjoyment will look and feel like. This book helps with that education process.

It is so easy to live each day and put one foot in front of the other without planning for the future. Actually life is not that easy. So many ideas and dreams. Life can be about options if you want them.

You may think you have a retirement plan, but I dare you to stack your plan against the Retire Happy ... plan. If you spend anytime at all looking at your 401k and wondering if making a deposit into a plan is all there is to retirement, you owe yourself a fun, well thought out and nicely written read on options you may give yourself in retirement.

The book is great for those thinking about retiring and those already retired. I am at the pre retired stage and I now know what I have to look forward to and the feelings I may feel after retirement. It has help me do some preplanning not financial but emotional and time wise.

Ok book that tries to get reader to focus in their next life-retirement. Thought the book pntificated too much on not working once you can retire. Yet the book talks about passions,but what if work is a passion for oneself?

I recently purchased two books to help me plan my retirement. Having just read both books, I can't recommend "How Retire Happy Wild Free". This book is a collection of good ideas with a number of anecdotes. The ideas are all fine but they are presented over and over again with different words and perspectives. It was generalization on what pending retirees can consider. I was bored with the book after the second chapter. It was not what I was looking for.

I much preferred "What Color is Your Parachute - for Retirement". This book provides "big picture" on how the meaning of retirement is changing in our times and how this effects the choices we all have. Moreover, the book contains a number of exercises for all readers. These exercises are fun; when I did them they helped me to take stock of my choices and preferences in my life so far. They enabled me to take a more proactive approach to actually plan my retirement. Reading this book was like a "personal workshop" on what would give my life the most meaning over what I hope will be 20+ years that I have left. "How Retire Happy Wild Free" did not provide this kind self understanding.

I'm a few years off retirement (or re-direction maybe) - and found this book most helpful in starting to formulate a plan of upc-oming new activities for the next few decades. The book is thought-provoking - and reminds you of many key issues to think about.

Having read the book I was able to set out a strategic plan (and time-plan) of what I want to do, what I don't want to do (perhaps even more importantly) - and a method of financing my plan realistically. When I decide to quit and move on to other activities, I think I'm now well-prepared to get started.

There were some great ideas and concepts that really made you think, however, I found the book was sometimes very repetitive and could have been a lot less pages. Since I downloaded the e-book, I liked the fact that there were letters from readers added to the publication which a physical book wouldn't have.

Ernie Zelinski provides a fresh, creative (one could say "wild and free") and unconventional approach to retirement planning. Each chapter reinforces a "yes I can" attitude rather than a timid, worried mental framework. I found the book practical, straightforward, and encouraging. Last, and maybe most important, it discourged the tempation to be a prisoner one's 401K balance. I am about to read the book for a second time to make sure his messages has a chance to stick.

Sadly despite all the hoopla & positive reviews I found this book to be very repetitive..sort of like an article or a presentation that got turned into a book by repeating a lot of the same stuff in a slightly different way?
I thought the last few chapters were of the most interest. Am already retired so perhaps this book speaks more to those who aren't.

The book makes a lot of assumptions about money coming in after retirement. It's going to be great to be retired (some day) but I personally worry about not having enough money, not that I haven't saved but in terms if/when the world economy takes a dive for several years. Worth reading however if you're close to or at retirement.

I read this book in one day. Love it. Lots of great ideas/ information. Gave two out as gifts after I read it. Gave one to my dad to get it through his head that you have to enjoy yourself while you are able to. Think it hits the nail on the head as to what's important in life after you've worked for so many years. Would definitely recommend to anyone even if you're not ready to retire.

I am drifting about, unsure what to do with myself now that I am retired. This book offers a useful method for tackling one's choices and options. At least I have a starting point now for determining what I want to do. The author focuses on the positive, and reminds the reader why it is good to have such freedom. I urge retirees and near-retirees to read this book.

Bought this as a gift for a relative who is retiring soon and none to enthusiastic about it. This book offers some good insight and positivity which should help those retiring and not sure what to do with all of the new found free time.

I am an engineer myself and so I love to gather information, I love to consider trade-offs. This book was extremely helpful as I used it to create a whole thought process about how to reject negative comments from friends and family that will definitely be coming anyone's way that is planning a big life change like retirement from a good job, moving away, etc. The style and humor make it a fast, enjoyable read.

Ernie speaks to the side of retirement most ignored, money doesn't make us happy, we have to do that on our own. His style is light, while the topic is serious. Loved the wit, the ideas, and the paths he lays out. This should be a must read for 30 somethings, and then reviewed every 5 years! I am working on my "Get a Life Tree" now!

We've all had those questions, "Well, what are you going to do with yourself when you retire? Relocating? You'll be bored, for sure." These tend to come from people who have not done their retirement homework, and seem to envy those who have. "How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free..." is one fantastic book. It's not about finances. For that, get the "Retirement Survival Guide" by AARP. That, too, is one fantastic book for its purposes. This one is chock full of lifestyle ideas, and I challenge ANYone to worry about boredom after reading this book. Its language is light, sometimes humorous, but always right on target. Travel, hobbies, outdoor activities, writing a book, charitable work...it's all there, with many thought-provoking discussions about all of the above. Can't say enough good things about this book. I give it a top, five-star rating.

I received this book as a gift and ended up buying it for another 'soon to be retired'. The writing is enjoyable- the lists of things to do are feasible - and gives many suggestions to help keep this next segment of one's life as easy & fun as possible. Self quizzes assist you in finding out who you are & what you like to do now that corporate rules no longer apply. Best of all you don't need to be wealthy to enjoy the tips & activities listed in this book!

As I consider retirement in the next few years, the book that is making the most personal impact is this one! It's a thoughtful and inspiring book, full of heart, anecdotes, and scores of ideas for the "second half of life". The passionate encouragement in the last eight pages alone were worth the price of the book. If you are debating about whether you should retire soon, this book definitely gets placed on the side of "What am I waiting for?".

I agree with all the author was saying about retirement. It's a time to reinvent yourself and pursue hobbies, or even new careers. The author proves that one does not need $500,00 in an IRA to retire. Ernie's book shows the way to enjoyment of life!!!

Sister recommended this book as I'm trying to learn to play as a retiree....too many years with nose to the grindstone and started working at a very young age. Gives you lots to think about. I'm recommending it to my half brother next.

After careful thought, talking to friends, etc, etc, etc as well as reading several books on retirement, this is the one book that pushed me over the edge (read that: gave me the confidence to actually begin to retire). Part chronicle of others experiences and part life coach(-ing) Retire Happy, Wild and Free helped me develop the vision for retirement. If you're open to converting dreaming into a plan and a plan into reality, this is a good book. If you are looking for a strategy to ensure financial sustainability, the merits of annuities versus self-directed bond market investments, keep looking, you won't find it here.

The book is great for those thinking about retiring and those already retired. I am at the pre retired stage and I now know what I have to look forward to and the feelings I may feel after retirement. It has help me do some preplanning not financial but emotional and time wise.

I love this book! Full of wit, wisdom and engaging exercises, "How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free," is a must-read for aging adults! It gets to the heart of the issues retirees face and provides practical tools for meeting them head on. I recommend it to all of my clients as a resource for finding purpose, meaning and joy later in life. That's fully alive beyond 55!

Ernie captures the aspects of retirement that many times go overlooked. I, like most people I know, have been obsessive about financial planning, but Ernie makes you think about those things that have the power to derail your retirement or make it great. It's all about attitude and planning for those realities that surely will come. I highly recommend this book, especially for those nearing retirement. We all worked too hard to make it to retirement only to have it ruined by intangible factors we can control. This book will give you lots to consider, and unlike finances, which can be depressing, these are things you can enjoy "fixing".

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK, UNLESS you really want to get insight and focus on your retirement!! After reading this book, my mindset dramatically changed about how long I would work and what I would do after I retire. I realized that I wanted to retire much sooner than 65. As a result, I became hyper-focused on paying off debt. I was then able to retire at 48!! This easy read is written with humor and plenty of inspirational examples and quotes. VERY highly recommended!

This was a fun and enlightening book! I'm so tired of hearing how you need 2 million dollars to retire comfortably. This book explains that it is all about lifestyle. I bought one for my sister who recently retired as well.

Claudia

Best. Everyone shod read it that is either wanting or planning to retire. I found it an excellent read and it gave me great inspiration to move to part-time retirement and now planning my exit strategy.

I purchased this book for a friend who is retiring. The book came quickly and in very good shape. My friend was delighted. After reading the book she told me it was very inspiring and confirming for her. She said it had lots of great information. She re-gifted the book to me to encourage my retirement.

Great resource for anyone contemplating moving on the new and exciting phase of life called "retirement". Ernie Zelinski provides a thought-provoking guide to the challenges and, most importantly, the pportunities that lie ahead. A must read!

Bought this as a gift for a relative who is retiring soon and none to enthusiastic about it. This book offers some good insight and positivity which should help those retiring and not sure what to do with all of the new found free time.

I'm still reading this book. I usually have a tough type reading any non-fiction book. This is well written and I'm not having my usual difficulty of forcing myself to read it. I'm just having trouble finding the time. I'll rate it again after I'm done.

This book provides fresh perspectives and numerous resources to address the psychological challenges - and others - that retirement presents - well thought out and extremely useful- ii will retread and return! Thanks!

I really enjoyed this book. Some of the best things are the "Get A Life Tree" and 7 pages of possible activities for it.

A few quotes:

"The probability of having a happy and successful retirement is inversely proportional to the amount of TV one watches."

"You must pursue what you truly want out of retirement, and not what others want you to pursue or what other retirees are pursuing."

"Virtually everyone will agree at some level that money doesn't buy happiness, but deep down they haven't accepted it. Regardless of how old you are, you will show wisdom well beyond your age when you truly accept that money can't buy contentment and peace of mind."

"Riches are to be used and not to be hoarded. After all, what the ultimate purpose of money, but to spend it?

Sadly, wealthy people can actually be worse off than poor people. Due to their poverty consciousness, a disease of sorts, some of the rich continue to live as if they were poor."

Pages 186-7 has a good list of things to look for in a retirement location.

Page 195 has great self evaluation questions to answer.

I've read a lot of retirement books and this one had new angles for me and I recommend it.

As we know, buying a book is an investment of time and energy. Hopefully what we get in return is greater than the original investment. This book has done so for me on many levels.

It is an enjoyable read written in a friendly, easy manner. It contains a wealth of wisdom and insights about the human realm in which we each find ourselves. Undoubtedly the author is well read and living an examined life. Quotes and cartoons related to the chapter topic are liberally sprinkled throughout. Many are particularly informative or funny and seem to reflect the author's own mind. The author offers his contact information, and one gets the sense that he truly enjoys connecting with his readers and connecting his readers to one another.

Enjoy!

Really enjoyed reading about available options and avenues that are available where the focus was not on the financial aspects of an effective retirement. Really do recommend this to those not yet retired but are certainly thinking about like I did five years before I actually did.

This book is insightful and entertaining. Ernie touches on all aspects that make retirement the best time of your life. He share lots of pearls of wisdom. One of my favorites is ... to be happy in the retirement time of your life you need two things -- engaging and meaningful activities and at least a few good friends. I'm a Retirement Coach and this book is on my recommended reading list.

This book helps you think outside of the box about retirement - the emphasis on values, lifestyle, interests, etc., instead of just finances, is refreshing. The transition to retirement is a BIG adjustment!

It is a little crazy! I certainly would retire happy, wild and free if I had as much money as the people he is talking about. He gives examples of people riding their bikes all over the world, and people retiring in other countries. Face it, most of us don't have that much money to make our retirement as he would like us to do.

Now this book, I've passed on to several third parties. Some read mine and decided to get their own. It's a fun book and I really wish I'd gotten this book about 6 months to a year before I retired in January, 2014.

I thought the book added some very valuable insights to my retirement scheme. although, biking about in 115 degree weather doesn't appeal to me, fall is on the way. I have learned some ways to cut my spending.

Very folksy book but not what I needed.,..the usual stuff about volunteering, finding a creative endeavor, importance of friends, that you really don't need a ton of money to retire, money doesn't bring happiness in retirement etc....everything you pretty much already know. It seems to be geared toward people thinking of taking early retirement in their 50's...so I think it was written before the financial crash. Also seems to be written by a Canadian. Obviously the author found what he loved to do after retirement...write! He's probably made tons of money selling this book to people like me. I wish I could get my money back... Next time I'll try to get a copy from the local library. It was the book title that suckered me into buying it....but it didn't speak to my type of wildness. I've already gotten a cabin in the NYS woods for my retirement and am truly leading the wild and free life.

I think the thing that bothered me most about the book is that it is all about filling your life up with "Doing" (hobbies, volunteering, etc.) and there is very little about "Being"....one retires to get away from the incessant need to DO doesn't one?

After a lifetime (or it seems that way) in a job there are bound to be misgivings about whether you have made the right decision. Or there were for me. I pre-viewed 'How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free' on the internet and decided it was worth a closer look. And it was. I now have it on the bookshelf, already bookmarked at the page I know will settle me down the next time I start to lose my confidence and forget that I am on my way to following my dream!

While I was not looking forward to my husband retiring, this book has changed my mind. One quote that made me double over with laughter was, "Spend your money because you are dead longer than you are alive".

This is a great book for anyone who wants to retire at some point. I am a life coach who works with clients in their 30s+. I have gotten some great pointers to use in my practice and have given more than one client Ernie Zelinski's name to add to their "must read" list.

I like this book because it has a very positive theme. It is not all about how much money a person should have before they retire. It is about having a plan and staying upbeat and embracing a new lifestyle.

Light and airy. A fun yet provocative read on things you should consider about your "Golden" years involving your self actualization. You should read this if your idea of retirement is wearing a hole in your couch watching TV every day.

This book causes you to sit back and think about what is really important. You may not totally agree with the author on every point (he does give anecdotes that are a little "out there") but there is no denying the message. And the message is an important one whch we all personalize based on our own circumstances. I have, to date, bought three others as gifts.

This book spends much more time talking about why you should retire, rather than how. It gives plenty of examples of people who retired early and loved it, but was very light on the financial specifics of how they made it work. This is a great book on the joys of retirement and things you can do to enjoy it, and it is effective in motivating folks to do so. Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver on the "how," other than to say just do it - over and over.

I appreciated the book, but for the most part it is an obvious read. Talks about picking a hobby, volunteering and ideas to keep busy in retirement. I think most folks can find a way to fill their days.

This book helps you think outside of the box about retirement - the emphasis on values, lifestyle, interests, etc., instead of just finances, is refreshing. The transition to retirement is a BIG adjustment!

Silly me. Instead of just enjoying my OK funded, happy retirement, I fell for this title and all the stars. This is just a self published book full of trite platitudes that should be pbvious to most. Of course, you need to exercise. Of course, money isn't everything. Of course, you need to be near people who matter. Etc, etc, etc. I didn't need this book. Off it goes to the library book sale.

Don't read this book unless you are financially prepared to retire. The author gives no financial guidance. If you are unprepared and follow his advice, you will be retiring into a mine field. There is little advice inside but it is chock full of simplistic silly anecdotes and lists of inane undertakings that are recommended to fill retirement years. Save your money!

How many times can you say write a book, without sounding redundant. I get It, don't get bored in your retirement, but you will if you waste your time reading this book by this self serving, self promoting author.

Repetitive, derivative, impractical. There's nothing new in this book, and quite a bit that the author wrote in his book about living without a "real" job. There are plenty of books about how to plan financially for retirement, but this book ignores that issue so glaringly that all its other suggestions fall by the wayside.

I REALLY hate to be negative but this book is not a Guide to Retirement and not a good use of your money. It is a positive, carefree book and full of ideas that you should know already if you have half a sense of adventure. Things like - "if you are workaholic you are a jerk and shouldn't retire" or "if you retire make sure and have plenty of money!"or "Find a hobby before you retire!" just aren't helpful. I'm 42 and active-retired.

This book is a waste of time.
The author could say in one paragraph what he takes to say in four pages.
He repeats himself over and over and over.
It was a good thing that it was a cheap book so I did not waste so much money.

As I approached the customary retirement age of 65, I thought it was a good time to begin preparing, emotionally, for the big change. My wife and I had been preparing financially for the past 30 years, so money wasn’t really too much of a concern. For me, it was everything else. What will I do with all of the extra time? What will motivate me to get out of bed in the morning? Can I survive without the structure of a 9-5 job? Will I get on my wife’s nerves? Will she get on mine? All of these thoughts and many more led me to begin reading books (lots of books) on retirement, and there are hundreds if not thousands of them. However, it turns out almost all of them are about preparing financially. I needed more – something on the “everything else” I would be dealing with.

Fortunately, I stumbled upon Ernie Zelinski’s fabulous book "How to Retire, Happy, Wild and Free." It was about the 10th book I’d read over a six-month period, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the “everything else” guidebook that I had been searching for. Ernie points out the importance of finances, but focuses primarily on the softer aspects of retirement – the “everything else” that you’ll encounter. He discusses the benefits of leaving a job on your own terms and as early as possible, but cautions the reader about the pitfalls of not considering all aspects of retirement, not just financial.

Ernie refers to retirement as a new beginning of sorts – a time to rediscover who you are and what makes you happy – and “going for it.” Life is too short to spend 30 percent of your time in miserable pursuit of the perfunctory gold watch. The options to happiness start and end within you, are not based solely on your finances, and can deviate from the presumed norm. You don’t have to work until you’re 65, 100% vested, or meet the “Rule of 80”. You may have thought so, and it may even be expected, but only you can decide what’s truly best for you.

I’m now reading "How to Retire, Happy, Wild and Free" for the second time, picking up many jewels of wisdom that I overlooked in the first reading. You may need two or three highlighters. I can’t wait to read his newest books about achieving success and happiness, especially his new fable "Look Ma, Life's Easy." Great books impress – Great writers inspire! Ernie Zelinski inspires.

Odd that the author is a proponent of "retire whenever you want to, you can always get a job later" logic...which is far from smart advice...and that a success story describes a family of 4 "living in a log house with no furniture eking out rent." This is supposed to be inspirational? According to the author's logic, they're happy so that means they're successful. To each his own I suppose.

We also read about people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s "retiring" - but they're not retiring, they're simply leaving full-time employment...but as long as they're happy trying to make ends meet with their new impoverished reality, they've met the author's definition of a successful retirement. Again, not grasping the logic of this revelation.

The best part of this repetitive book is a quote from someone other than the author: "You've got to retire to something, not from something." That is worth checking this book out from the library...but I certainly wouldn't pay $16.95 which is the list price on the bar code.

I retired recently and quite suddenly from a career of thirty years. Believe me, no one was more surprised and shocked with my decision to walk away from a career that had dominated my time, energy, and thoughts for three decades than myself! Scrambling to adjust to my new set of circumstances I sought out resources to assist me. After a brief search of "retirement" on the store I purchased Ernie J. Zelenski's "How To Retire Happy, Wild, And Free." I am very glad that I did!

Written in a style similar to the "For Dummies" books, complete with cartoons, quotes, clear, easy to read font, Zelenski's book could be viewed as a "How To" guide for retirement, or even "Retirement For Dummies." However, "How To Retire Happy, Wild, And Free" is much, much more.

This unassuming book contains priceless wisdom and inspiration for everyone that has crossed from the working world into the world of retirement. In the final chapter, 'Happiness Doesn't Care How You Get There' I found myself highlighting paragraph after paragraph. Quoting from page 210:

"The way to join the conscious and happy minority is to accept that now - and only now; can you ever experience happiness. Living in the moment is crucial for living happily because the present moment is all that you really have."

This might seem obvious and clichéd to the casual reader but it is a beacon of light and crystal clarity when you are in the darkness struggling to find your way.

By the way, I am looking forward to reading Zelinski's "The Joy of Not Working" which I just purchased before writing this review.

I am 53 and as I start getting older and start thinking about what I want to do when I retire - this seemed like something that peaked my interest and it did! It doesn't give you ways to get rich or how to make your 401k grow...that's what I like about it! It opens your mind to idea after idea of how YOU can be happy when you retire (and NOW for all that matter). I have the audio book and I liked the narrator's voice. Before I got this I had thoughts of "what am I going to do when I retire" "how will I be able to keep myself busy when I retire" "will I have enough money to retire" - this book opened my eyes and gave me encouragement. This provides options and ideas and I like that....it wasn't what I was originally looking for, but boy oh boy, am I glad I got it because it gave me MORE than I was looking for - it gives me hope and inspiration!

This is my favorite retirement “how to” book – along with Mitch Anthony's The New Retirementality. Ernie's thesis is that nobody has gone to their deathbed regretting not spending more time at work - who could argue his point? Mitch seems to view our work as part of who we are and retirement as an unnatural state. But in the end, Mitch and Ernie pitch a common perspective – one needs to remain physically and mentally engaged throughout life to remain healthy and happy. And freedom is a state of mind – if you are doing what you enjoy then you are free. Both books are required reading for any prospective retiree.

Excellent book, it talks mainly about quality of life and making retirement work for you. For so long I allowed others to define what quality of life is or should be. Eventually I figured out that only I could define what quality of life is for my life. This book gets to the heart of that. Only we could define quality of life for ourselves. Be it health, spiritual wellbeing or financial stability, to mention a few. I walked away with a few things from this book. Work on relationships that have been neglected in the past, get in touch with my artistic side, continue to work if you so desire. Doing what you love and enjoy doing without giving into peer pressure. Yes, peer pressure will continue for the rest of our lives. I will never put myself again in a position where work becomes drudgery or a conflict of my core beliefs. Do your self a favor, read this book, it can only enhance a perspective that most financial advisors would never expose to you. Perhaps most of them don't know how to provide such perspective. I'm a 44 year old retired commercial lender. I plan to work until I'm not capable anymore, but work will be at my own pace now and mainly for enjoyment. Yes, their is such a thing as working for enjoyment, read this book and you will find out how....

After so many positive , even raving reviews, I got this book and could not believe how bland and boring it was. I found nothing new there , and certainly no "wisdom!" This is common sense at a very pedestrian level . For instance "Try to avoid obesity if you can!" Honestly, that is a subtitle ... Enough said. What a waste of my time and money!

There's definitely a need for a book that addresses non-financial aspects of transitioning into retirement. Unfortunately, this is NOT that book.

Zelinkski himself has never made the post-65 transition into retirement. His biography states that he was let go from a corporate job when he was 31, and has spent the intervening years as a "retirement coach" -- and supporting himself by selling these books. I have to wonder how much of his "you don't really need a corporate career" attitude is the result of him never having had a real career.

The book is very light on specifics. For example, Zelinski notes that one possible difficult area are the dynamics of a spouse or partner who's not retiring at the same time as oneself. And that's the last you hear about it. No suggestions about how to approach the subject, etc.

The book is also targeting people living in Canada, where things like health care is less of a concern for elderly people than in the USA.

The bulk of the book consists of excerpts from letters written by grateful readers of Zelinski's other books. That, and pull quotes from people like Mae West. (No, really...)

As I said, there's a genuine need for resources to help with the post-65 retirement transition. But you won't find those resources in Zelinski's book. Very disappointing.

It’s been helpful for me in my 30s to truly understand not to leave everything to the last minute.
There’s no guarantee you'll be in the best of health to enjoy that huge nest egg.

One of my clients with over a $5M net worth, at 60, had never taken a vacation, and was very dead set on the next promotion, and all the prestige at work.
He’d rush through all our meetings. On one occasion he had to leave our meeting at 4:45PM to get back to the office—on a Friday night!

I prescribed Ernie’s books to him: The Joy of Not Working, and How to Retire Wild, Happy, and Free.
His wife said she’d write it down because he wouldn’t get the books.

The next meeting. He said, “I loved the books” I read them twice!

Next, I gave the books to my workaholic mom in the hopes that she’d also see her days are numbered, and to stop grinding out work when she wants to travel, spend time with her granddaughter, and finally take those nutrition classes to help people with healthy living.

Ernie’s style is humorous, straight-up, and genuine. I loved that he publishes letters from people who have taken his advice, and the cartoons.
Especially the one about the doctor! You gotta get the book!

Be Free, and be you in Retirement

I wish that I had read Ernie's Book - How to Retire Happy, wild and Free soon after I had retired. As it turned out, although I had received it as a gift from a friend who attended a retirement party on my behalf, I unfortunately didn't pick it up and read it until a couple years after I left the "workforce".
However, after recently reading it, it made me get myself in gear and find "my senses of purpose" as I journey through this next phase in my life. Something I was searching aimlessly for since I had retired. Reading it gave me a fresh look into what I had thought about doing in these "golden years" but never had the courage or push to get motivated to do such. So, as it turns out, I've reconnected myself to try my skill at writing a book, returning to volunteering at a local professional theater helping with stage lighting design and I'm looking for additional ways to meaningfully volunteer my time to help others. Ernie - thank you so much for writing such an important and useful book to those thinking about, or having reached that golden plateau of retirement. Best of luck in the future, and keep on writing. Doug Melroy

Yes, you can REALLY make your retirement years the best time of your life! This book encourages you to take early retirement. I was specially impressed with Ernie's innovative "The Get-a-Life Tree" for choosing retirement activities. I now know how to create my own "Ultimate Life Adventure List" to help me have an exciting retirement. Some people retire happily but for other people, life is always a struggle. This book shows WHY and guides you in the right direction.

In Feb 2014, I suddenly found myself out of a job after having spent 35+ years in the banking industry. Not knowing what to do next I read as many books as I could get my hands on about retirement planning and eventually I met up with "How to Retire Happy,Wild and Free". It's by far the best book on retirement that I have read so far. It taught me the important lesson that a happy retirement cannot be guaranteed by saving lots of money. Money is not enough you need to work at it. Everyone needs to design their own unique life plan in order to maximize living during the last third of their lives. Watch your health, stay engaged, and keep looking for new experiences.
I learned a great deal about myself from reading this book and it helped me get out of the funk that I was in. Each time I pick it up I discover something new to consider. Having read it three times now, that speaks for itself!

For anyone like me who's having a bit of a post-mid-life crisis (I'm turning 60 in 2017), trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life and, for me, especially, how to continue to earn an income, but in an unconventional job I'm passionate about, this book is way cheaper than therapy and way better. The wise and inspirational author generously offers so many tools and fresh, new ways of looking at your life, and life in general, that after you finish reading the last page and close the book's cover, you're really motivated to create your dream job and, while you're at it, re-create yourself as better person.

At least I certainly am.

Many thanks, Ernie.

K. Cherie

Over 900k people has bought books by this author but then well-over 900k people have enjoyed Adam Sandler, eaten spoiled food, or drank skunked beer. There is nothing in the pages of this book that is new or game-changing. Common sense practices will achieve the same results and protect you from the hubris of the author. A good financial advisor, a good physician, and good friends will serve you better than the repetitive drivel in this book.

A fun read! There are tons of books out there about the financial aspects of retiring. This book addresses the "meaning and purpose" questions that many face. His humorous approach is refreshing. After retiring "early", I was shocked at how many (working) people ask, "Well, what are you going to DO??!" How about, "who are you going to BE?"(...and not just after "retirement".) A recommended book for those still working too...let's broaden those horizons people!

I just finished this book. Very easy to read and held my interest throughout. I've read thousands of books in my life including several hundred purchased from the store concerning topics ranging from fiction to business to science to history. I don't feel compelled very often to rate what I read on the store much less write a review.

That said, this book is different and I feel compelled to sing its praises. The book's title indicates it is about how to be happy in retirement but it really is about so much more. How to be happy in general (not just in retirement), how to live the life you always wanted to live, how to live life in general and, most of all, how to find one's self and be true to it. And much much more. There are more nuggets of wisdom in this short simple book than in all the business books I have read over the past 30 years combined. Most of this wisdom we all are aware of already (though we forget or ignore it most of the time) but it is good to be reminded and to have it laid out so succinctly and in one easy to reference book.

If you are retiring or if you are in your 40's or 50's, read this book. Now. It could be life-changing.

Great book to prepare for retirement. Different from the 4K messages you see every day that "you haven't saved enough for retirement." Realistic but encourages you to focus on a happy and enjoyable retirement which we all deserve if we can find our way.

They book is very repetitive and boring. I only managed reading 3 chapters. Maybe I will try to read more at some other time. The main idea can be expressed in 10 pages. What I dislike the most is that there is no talk about the financial aspect. Sure, one can think of ways, even inexpensive ways, to make retirement enjoyable, but one has to have enough income to cover the expenses

Mr. Zelinki's book provides a look at retirement from a perspective that is often overlooked: the various types of retirement and the life choices to think about before you end your career as you know it. It often poses questions that make you uncomfortable because a truthful answer requires a great deal of introspection, but these are questions that should be answered if you are going to make a successful transition from full-time career to a full retirement or a semi-retirement. He is careful to let the reader know that "retirement" is not a "one-size fits all" proposition, and that expectations regarding the satisfaction of a total retirement may not be met by the actuality of idleness. He then gives some suggestions on what activities might fill any void created by retirement. I think it should be required reading for anyone who is considering retirement.

I'm afraid I spent most of the time I was listening to this piece as an audio book screaming: No, no, no. But I battled my way through it. I won't say there are not bits that I found informative but I'm afraid that the type of purposeful, effective, goal driven, and productive lifestyle that the author advocates is NOT the way I would want to spend my retirement. And I am loving being retired. I lived my career by these adjectives and found that they did not provide happiness. Instead, the happiness I found was through living in the moment, pondering questions of interest, and doing the unexpected and that is what I love about being retired. Any purposes, goals, outcomes achieved are now byproducts of my doing rather than reasons for which I live, as such they become incidental.

Pages and pages making the same point over and over. There is no real "meat" of information. I appreciate and agree with the idea of not waiting until you have a certain amount of money in your retirement basket. No one ever knows how much they will need. Good advice. Live your life now. I get it. I got it after the first 5 pages. Other than his overstated opinion you will find quote after quote. He didn't write half the book-he is using other peoples quotes and letters. On his list of suggestions of things to do with your time: buy a baseball team???????? Travel around the world????? Like we all can afford to do that.

As a financial advisor I believe this is a must read for anyone doing their retirement planning. Too many advisors focus on the accumulation of money for retirement and tell their clients how much they should save for retirement without first exploring what they want their retirement to be like. Although money is an important consideration for retirement we need to look at the lifestyle we want first and then work back to what it takes in dollar terms to have the life we desire. Ernie gives great ideas about what one can do in retirement that costs very little to no money. He also provides many references to web sites to help you figure out what it is that gets you exited about you future. This book really opens up you mind to what retirement can be like. Most people put more effort into planning their holidays versus their future and this will be a book I recommend to my clients to get them to plan their future and open up to the possibilities they have available.
Jim Peddie
Creator of The Code Breaker Program

the first part of this book had great things to think about as we transition to retirement. The author seems to try to stretch ideas out a bit much, perhaps to fill pages, and the last chapters are largely references that can't keep up with the pace of technology. That said, we're very glad we got this to listen for our 10 hour drive and both of us found food for thought and it helped us understand our differences in our approach to and attitudes toward retiring.

Rather than approaching retirement as merely a savings goal, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free looks at retirement as a period to capitalize not so much on the money you’ve saved, but the asset of time.

In other words, saving for retirement isn’t about saving money. It’s really about saving time. The more you put away for retirement, the more time you give yourself to accomplish all of the things you dream about accomplishing, whether it’s writing a novel or learning a musical instrument or camping in every national park.

It’s a great perspective and a useful one, and Zelinski writes about it with an irreverent and breezy tone that makes this a fun book to read, too. This one’s highly recommended to anyone within ten years or so of their retirement, on either side.

I read "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" a year after I retired and it blew my mind! I absolutely LOVE this book, and I learned so much! I think it's the BEST gift you can possibly give any newly retired person. The following quote best describes this book...... "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” (Francis Sr.). This quote pretty much sums up this amazing book!

As I've discovered, retirement is a total life change. A time to reinvent myself and grab the gusto for my last chapter! There are many adjustments to this final stage in life and I 'didn't know what I ddn't know'! This book helped affirm, motivate, and revitalize me. It helped me address all those issues and concerns that we all must face. If retirement is your next phase in life, I highly recommend that you read this energizing book!

This book is realistic about some of the tough issues surrounding retirement, but also upbeat and optimistic. Retirement, for many, is not as easy as it sounds and they are not prepared emotionally for the adjustments. This book offers some welcome wisdom. The focus is not financial advice or the particulars of money (although the issue of money is talked about as very much a part of the situation), but the purpose of this book is to consider the overall challenges inherent in this chapter of life. The style is readable, and there is some good perspectives especially in the last sections where I personally found the most encouragement. Thanks, Ernie Zelinski, for your great contribution to this subject.

I am getting ready to retire in the next year and I found this book to be extremely helpful. Well written, insightful, kept my interest and had very practical tips. I learned a lot by reading this book. If you plan to retire in the next five years you should definitely read this book.

As implied by the title, this book is ridiculously verbose and many (if not most) of the resources identified are dated (e.g., Site59 was bought by Travelocity in 2003 and eventually merged into that site in 2011), but it does provide some good ideas on how to live happily in retirement. Other than a lots of "rah rah you can do it" nonsense, it provides very little information with regard to how to get to retirement in a position to be happy, wild, and free. This book needs a quality editor and someone with the willingness to update and rethink how to present the message (because I do see a little value in it). I can see why so many publishers turned it down (as the author proudly proclaims in the beginning). He should be applauded for coming up with a great title, which has clearly gotten a great many people to buy the book. FYI - my wife is currently about half way through and thinks my 2 stars are too generous.

I really enjoyed this book. Some of the best things are the "Get A Life Tree" and 7 pages of possible activities for it.

A few quotes:

"The probability of having a happy and successful retirement is inversely proportional to the amount of TV one watches."

"You must pursue what you truly want out of retirement, and not what others want you to pursue or what other retirees are pursuing."

"Virtually everyone will agree at some level that money doesn't buy happiness, but deep down they haven't accepted it. Regardless of how old you are, you will show wisdom well beyond your age when you truly accept that money can't buy contentment and peace of mind."

"Riches are to be used and not to be hoarded. After all, what the ultimate purpose of money, but to spend it?

Sadly, wealthy people can actually be worse off than poor people. Due to their poverty consciousness, a disease of sorts, some of the rich continue to live as if they were poor."

Pages 186-7 has a good list of things to look for in a retirement location.

Page 195 has great self evaluation questions to answer.

I've read a lot of retirement books and this one had new angles for me and I recommend it.

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK, UNLESS you really want to get insight and focus on your retirement!! After reading this book, my mindset dramatically changed about how long I would work and what I would do after I retire. I realized that I wanted to retire much sooner than 65. As a result, I became hyper-focused on paying off debt. I was then able to retire at 48!! This easy read is written with humor and plenty of inspirational examples and quotes. VERY highly recommended!

I am a recently retired partner from a Big Four accounting firm. I wanted to retire early but was concerned about what I would do.......would I have a purpose or waste away the many years I had left in me. I read a lot of books with no real help being provided. Then I found this book which is entertaining, positive, and gives a good view of how to have a fun retirement. This book was just what I needed!! It caused me to write a list of things I wanted to do in retirement. I was then comfortable ( and continue to be) retiring because I had a good list of things I want to accomplish. The book is great and was just what I needed. I give the book as gifts to my friends who also like it a lot!!

Almost every book on retirement seems to focus almost exclusively on the monetary aspects of retirement, and completely neglects one of the most important questions that people need to consider -- i.e., what do I want my life to look like after I stop working? This book fills that niche, covering topics such as social interaction, creating structure in your day, lifelong learning, travel, and health. Zelinski's main proposition is that without planning and creating structure, people are at risk of spending their retirement years sitting in front of the television; however, with planning and creativity, retirement can be the most rewarding time of life. I especially liked Zelinski's "Get-A-Life Tree," which challenges readers to think about what they enjoy doing now, what they have enjoyed doing in the past and what they have thought of doing in order to give them ideas on what might be rewarding for them in retirement.

One important caveat -- although Zelinski does briefly cover the financial aspect of retirement, I found his attitude toward finances to be cavalier to say the least. His basic premise is that you should retire as soon as possible and if it turns out that you cannot afford to get by working part-time or less, just go out and work full-time for awhile. I think in today's economy, such an approach is reckless. Therefore, I would NOT recommend this book for people looking for guidance on financial planning for retirement. However, if you are looking for some thought-provoking ideas on what to do with your retirement years, this book will get you thinking.

This book actually makes sense! It is honest, realistic, and addresses the reality of the situation. All of us, who were solely concerned with the financial aspect of retirement but didn't give 10 minutes of thought of what the hell we would do with our time, will benefit from this book...all while having a laugh!

Just retired, currently reading this book. An excellent book. Wish I had read 2-5 years before retiring; he is "point on" about life changes, life without a regimented work environment, along with an analysis of different personalities in retirement. Would make a super gift for someone with upcoming retirement.

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie Zelinski is a very informative and encouraging book about how to make the most of life at a time after you've retired from working. A lot of us have expectations for retirement, but this book will really put things in perspective and provide ideas about how to go about retirement in a wiser way.

I was introduced to this book after reading No Work, No Problem! Stop working, Start living! by Dr. Andrew M. Goodman. His book was extremely forthright and telling about how to take control of your work life and career for yourself. Now, I needed to read further on how to apply that philosophy to retirement. Both of these books are very life-changing and have shown me a wealth of new ideas for how to take on this important life changes and the challenges that come with them. I am very satisfied and on my way with knowledge!

As I consider retirement in the next few years, the book that is making the most personal impact is this one! It's a thoughtful and inspiring book, full of heart, anecdotes, and scores of ideas for the "second half of life". The passionate encouragement in the last eight pages alone were worth the price of the book. If you are debating about whether you should retire soon, this book definitely gets placed on the side of "What am I waiting for?".

Have to admit, retiring was mentally challenging. This book provided the psychological input i needed to overcome my thinking of whether i was doing the right thing by retiring at 62. I now am able to focus my next adventures with an open mind without the guilt feelings of thinking i am too young to retire. Great phrases and common sense guidance. Highly recommend.

This is a great read, and I can understand why this author gets such great reviews. It really helped me to envision what is coming, and ot realize that retirement is going to be a lot of fun. The author gives you tons of ideas and things you may never have thought about. The main take-away from this book for me is that you need to plan and structure your time, and you need to have goals and be engaged. Otherwise, you will most likely just wither away.

Long winded, unrealistic. Listened to audio book, first two chapters were interesting, then it seemed to be fairly repetitive after that. Author is Canadian, no heath insurance worries from his perspective, makes retirement a lot easier in Canada.

As I blogged recently at www.findependencehub.com, this is one of the few retirement books I’ve read twice: once when I was 50 and again this year at 62. The key message, at least for me, is that there’s a lot more to retirement than just the financial aspect. There is some joy in “not working” (to invoke the title of another Zelinski classic) but a purpose-driven semi-retirement can give you the proper balance of a little work and lots of leisure, something that the self-styled “Connoisseur of Leisure” has preached since he first launched his writing career many decades ago. The book holds up well on a second reading and would make an excellent gift for those whose spouses are workaholics. The subtitle says it all: “Retirememt Wisdom that you won’t get from your financial advisor.”

As a Life Transition Coach who specializes in helping people prepare for and adjust to 'retirement' I am always on the look out for good materials to refer them to. Zelinski's "How to Retire" has become the staple that my clients are referred to again and again.

You can tell this guy really knows how to live life. He has become a huge invitation for people to wake up and smell the burning rubber of their feet dragging on life's treadmill! Even for that small portion of the working public who actually enjoy their jobs, he presents some compelling arguments as to why 'retirement' is an appealing option to work.

I'm someone who doesn't plan on a traditional retirement, yet there were times as I read Zelinski's thoughts and ideas about what's possible in retirement that it got me thinking that I may want to revise my plans at some point in the future.

The distinction between "feel good" and "values based" happiness that Zelinski makes on p. 96 really caught my attention and I've already begun weaving the importance of this distinction into the coaching conversations I have with clients. In short, it highlights how the buzz that we get from spending money and 'accomplishing' things diminishes over time so that we have to spend more or do more in order to get the same release from it. One of those laws of diminishing return things. Compare that to the long term satisfaction and gratification we get from engaging things that hold meaning for us and you discover a kind of happiness that actually grows over time rather than diminishing over time. Very, very important for those caught in the web of illusion that golfing/fishing/shopping/traveling are going to sustain them when they retire.

Zelinski encourages us all to consider retirement earlier rather than later and to begin to pay attention to the quality of our life's experience rather than single mindedly focusing on achieving more material success. He rightfully points out that many of us won't make it to some magical retirement date we anticipate in the future. And he is clear in helping us to notice that money alone is not going to buy us a satisfying, gratifying retirement experience.

The only way that I think this book could be improved is with a bit more focus on the conversation about discovering the identity each of us has that typically lies buried beneath mountains of cultural conditioning. In my experience, folks who haven't ever really spent much time wondering "who am I under all these rules, anyway?" need a fair bit of support and encouragement to keep digging until they discover themselves. That being said, the many exercises and activities Zelinski's suggests are fine starting points for that exploration.

I think that every workaholic in North America should be locked in a room with this book for as long as it takes for them to read it through and discover the big, exciting world that they are missing! And I don't know many people who couldn't benefit from absorbing a few of Zelinski's thoughts on the whole retirement subject.

Most retirement books focus on the financial side of this stage in life - how to save and invest properly so that you are not hung out to dry in your golden years. Zelinski focuses on the other aspect of retirement, as important if not more than how much money you have when you last step out of the working world: how you will spend your time and what attitude you will have when you retire. Because of its overarching "live life to the fullest" philosophy, this book has great value to anyone in any stage of life.

Zelinski advices current and potential retirees to plan ahead for this component of retirement - know what you are going to do. To achieve this, he provides a useful planning tool that will help retirees identify dozens of potential ways to spend their time. The key is not be a couch potato, but to engage in activities that keep your body nimble and your mind sharp. Retirement allows you to do pretty much whatever you want when you want to do it - it's a matter of going into it with a plan and staying engaged with life.

Two bones to pick with Mr. Zelinski: one, there is sometimes a lot of repetition of the same points. Two, although the main point is that sitting at home and watching soap operas will only help to speed up your mental and physical decline, there are a lot of people out there who thrive on that as well as "literature" like the National Enquirer. It's what makes them tick, whether we see it as worthless or not. More than likely, however, that particular segment of retirees is not picking up this book for edification.

Enjoyed reading this book. I plan on retiring within the next 5 years and I thought the material in this book was well organized and logical. Anyone would be able to follow the advice easily. I have taken a few of the authors gems with me. I appreciate the help with my planning of a happy, wild and free retirement.

My wife retired early and I semi retired which always has us worrying if we made the right decision. This book is different then ones written by financial advisors. We found it refreshing to hear a different side to retirement.

When we've got our financial nest egg in order but are still hesitant to retire, what holds us back is more important. It's personal, emotional and that feeling of finality and emptiness that scares us into indecision.
What a great holiday gift for that person you know who is torn over retirement.

After years of idling my life away in boring jobs, I expected retirement to be a time when I would have lots more idle time on my hands, but Ernie Zelinkski opened my eyes. I had barely finished reading the book when I started recommending it to my near-retirement friends. Mr. Zelinkski doesn't just talk about retirement for the old folks. He talks about getting out of the rat race and living life long before old age. I clipped an ad for horseback riding lessons! Just waiting for warmer weather for that one. The book helped me think through why I'm staying in my current job a little longer, and I believe my reasons are good. In the meantime, I can start new activities in preparation for the day when I'll have more time to enjoy them. The only downside to the book is that it doesn't mention much about the amount of time we spend preparing for work. It goes into great detail about the time we spend on the job and getting to and from the job. I spend half my weekend preparing to go back to work on Monday, doing laundry and shopping and prepping lunches, etc. When I thought about how much time my job consumes beyond the 40 hours, I started to consider retiring sooner rather than later.

Even though this is not Ernie Zelinski's newest book, my husband and I have just purchased it and it has turned our thinking around regarding retirement. It is a great read with lots of helpful ideas that promise to make retirement "the golden years". I will look for all of his other books as I am certain after reading this they would also be helpful, good reads.

I first noticed that "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" appeared in the store.com's "Customers who bought this item also bought" list for virtually any other significant book on retirement. So I bought Zelinski's book. I was not disappointed.

Two reviewers state that this book is the same as Zelinski's international bestseller "The Joy of Not Working". This is not true. Although the two books have some similarities, "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" is strictly for the retired or soon-to-be retired, whereas "The Joy of Not Working" is directed -- not only at the retired and the unemployed -- but also at working people who want a great work/life balance.

If I were a personal coach who gives advice to the newly retired, I would recommend "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" to my clients as the best non-financial retirement book. If I was a corporate human resource manager, I would be purchasing this book in quantity to give to all of my company's retiring employees.

In short, "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" is the best book I have read on the personal aspects of retirement. The chapters are devoted to the consideration of activities that enhance body, mind, and spirit. Zelinski quotes from many sources, but his attitude is reflected in this excerpt from his own writing:

"You will have attained true freedom in this world when you can get up in the morning when you want to get up; go to sleep when you want to go to sleep; and in the interval, work and play at the things you want to work and play at -- all at your own pace. The great news is that retirement allows you the opportunity to attain this freedom."

After reading Ernie's first book The Joy of Not Working, I found that he's "on" to some critical information that I found nowhere else in a retirement book or website. This book (How to Reire Wild Happy and Free) is an excellent companion to the first. It picks up where the other leaves off. Now that you've quit working (or are about to) there are additional issues that you need to address. This book has them broken down in chapters. The good thing about this book (and The Joy of Not Working) is that they are written in a light but hardhitting fashion. There are no formulas, charts or long processes that you need to follow throughout the book. His book does not contain a "recipe" (or flowchart or, God forbid, another Excel spreadsheet) that you get lost inside and quit reading. I read books like those and they are boring, boring, boring! His book makes you think in terms that apply to you! The book is also filled with quotes, quips, short paragraphs from famous people - some are funny, others are VERY thought provoking. Just like his first book, after reading the library's copy, I bought my own copy and filled it with highlighting to mark the parts I need to commit to memory. For the price, the book will return your investment many times over.

After careful thought, talking to friends, etc, etc, etc as well as reading several books on retirement, this is the one book that pushed me over the edge (read that: gave me the confidence to actually begin to retire). Part chronicle of others experiences and part life coach(-ing) Retire Happy, Wild and Free helped me develop the vision for retirement. If you're open to converting dreaming into a plan and a plan into reality, this is a good book. If you are looking for a strategy to ensure financial sustainability, the merits of annuities versus self-directed bond market investments, keep looking, you won't find it here.

Planning for retirement should start at the beginning of your career rather than at the end. It's never too early to plan for retirement, writes Ernie Zelinski who also authored, The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed and Overworked- 21st Century Edition. In his book, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, Zelinski says that the key to a happy retirement is preparation. You don't suddenly become the person you want to be when you retire. Zelinski's book reinforces the need to find your purpose in life well before you retire. It is just as important to know how you want to spend your time as it is to know how much money you will need. As Zelinski shows in his stories and anecdotes, you can enjoy a happy retirement if you begin preparing early.
This book comprises so much more than financial planning. Many of the books and magazines that discuss retirement focus on building a nest egg, investing, and accumulating wealth. But the best way to find happiness during retirement is to have health, friends, and interests. Zelinski suggests retirement is not a time to rest. Retirement is a time to be active, learn, travel, or start a new career. Whether your finances allow travel, a vacation home, or learning to live on less, many options for retirement are open. The author shares the story of a family who moved to a log cabin in the mountains with no furniture. They were very happy enjoying nature and fresh air. Other retirees are happy living in a city, doing volunteer work, or traveling.
I would not hesitate to share this book with friends, colleagues, or clients. Investigating the many options for retirement is even more important now than when the book was first written. With so many people having to change or rethink their retirement plans, this book is a breath of fresh air. At a time when people need inspiration and hope for their futures, learning "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" may be just what they need.
The stories about how people are finding unique ways to retire are fun and refreshing. They bring out the importance of living a full life now and not waiting until retirement. Five things I learned from this book are:
1. Plant a Get-a-Life Tree. Among the lists, activities, stories, and ideas that Zelinski offers for brainstorming retirement options, he illustrates how to plant a Get-a-Life Tree. The tree is a form of mind map to help people think about retirement options.
2. Stay active before and after retirement. Zelinski emphasizes the importance of a healthy active lifestyle. Being active and healthy doesn't begin at retirement. The author tells us to find our interests and purpose long before we retire.
3. You don't have to be rich to enjoy retirement. In fact, Zelinski emphasizes the fact that having a nest egg doesn't guarantee a happy retirement. The book is rich with stories about the many ways people have found happiness in retirement.
4. Build healthy relationships before you retire. Having healthy relationships outside of work before you retire will be the foundation for retirement bliss.
5. Retirement can be the best part of your life. Reading Zelinski's book was fun and inspiring. The author reminds us to focus on the things that are really important in life. Retirement, after all, is just the beginning.

Nancy J. Miller, M.S.
[...]

I highly recommend this book for retired or people that want to retire. Read it when you are young because it has the best information more than other books that I have scanned before purchasing. I learned a lot and I know a lot because I am always reading. I was very prepared to retire and do not like the word so I call myself a concludenairre. This means one who has concluded their working years. I have had positive input to my creative word. I will be buying this book for my financial advisor and others. I also have all the recommended links and added them to my Get a Life tree. Thank you Ernie.

I love this book! Full of wit, wisdom and engaging exercises, "How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free," is a must-read for aging adults! It gets to the heart of the issues retirees face and provides practical tools for meeting them head on. I recommend it to all of my clients as a resource for finding purpose, meaning and joy later in life. That's fully alive beyond 55!

So . . . you've dulled your senses with routine; keeping up the house, reading the ads for specials at Walmart, zombied to the TV, endlessly discussing the lives of the kids while silently avoiding your own despair, making frequent trips to the cabinets for munchies to fill the day. The "blissful" ideas of retirement has turned into a few cans of beer on the porch being your stated daily highlight.

If you find yourself in this kind of mild "Bummed but don't know what I can do" depression, buy the book and wake up to rekindling creative ideas of passion to feel alive in the most free time of your life. The book is about new ideas and taking action especially for those that are not necessarily creative. Let the author take you there.

A great pleasure and insightful read that breaks our unhealthy cultural "values" The creativity and fun writing style will keep you reading. I purchased this book for my father and read it myself in one sitting due to its interest. If you are still not sure if I liked the book ? I also bought a copy in Chinese text from Taiwan for my Chinese boss too. So there. Have a look.

I recently reread Zelinski's book How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free. I first read it two years ago, just before I retired and reread it several years into my new adventure.

It is a diverse book with lots of ideas on how to live a creative retirement but I will highlight the one thing I find that makes this book truly unique. Most retirement books focus on how to have enough money to live comfortably but they miss one of the key aspects of retirement.

Our livers are devided into three parts...the "what am I going to do when I grow up stage", the earning a living stage and then retirement. Very little thought is focused on how a person plans to spend his or her time in retirement. Since this can fully be a third of our lives, it is extremely important to focus on how one will spend their time in retirement.

Zelinski focuses on this oft overlooked aspect of retirement. We are finally free of having to follow someone else's orders, to compromise so we can earn a living and now we can redefine ourselves in any way we choose. How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free is chocked full of ideas on how we can make choices which greatly increase our enjoyment during our golden years.

Here is a brief summary of the book.

The author says unlimited free time can be a challenge or a treasure. He says perpetual vacation is hell. Another important thing the author says is that people who get depressed or bored after retirement miss three things they had at work : Structure, Sense of Community, and Purpose. If you create these three things in your retired life , you will be happy. He says you should balance your time with two types of activities: Feel Good activities ( TV, watching sports, movies, dinners, vacations etc ) and Value based Activities that give you a sense of accomplishment ( volunteering at a charity, running or working at a non-profit for a cause you believe in, writing a column for a new paper, part-time job that you really enjoy such as teaching at a college etc ).

I have gone to several Retirement Planning seminars . These so called advisers all say very similar things. It is all about money and they say you will need 80% of your last income to retire comfortably. The author of the book says that’s BS. It is a scare tactics so that you start saving in their plans. He says you will be more than fine if you have 40-60% of your last income. That’s because no house payment for most people, no children’s expenses, no retirement savings deductions, no commuting or clothing expenses for work etc.

The author says women handle retirement a lot better than men. That may be because men attach a lot more significance to their jobs for their self-esteem than women do.

There is one thing that I did not like in this book. The author very admirably talks about a 40 yr old retiree named Ernie who is biking around the world doing things he enjoys ( writng, learning new languages etc ). If thats the life style we recommend for 40 yrs olds, the world will not be what it is today. We need 40 yr olds to be in the workforce contributing to the economy through productvity and innovations.

Jamal

I discovered "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" about five years ago, when I was already plotting my escape from an extremely stressful job. I retired two years ago, and this book, along with another of Mr. Zelinski's books, "The Joy of Not Working" gave me the wisdom and the courage to get out as soon as I could. I was so tired of the financial planners' and investment companies' constant barrage of fear tactics aimed at making me believe that I would die alone and destitute with nothing but cat food to eat if I didn't have a gazillion dollars when I retired. I don't need to sail away in my private yacht and have a second house on Maui to be happy. The messages in Mr. Zelinski's book really made me think about what my life could be like after retirement at an early age (53). I especially enjoyed the "Get a Life Tree" in Chapter 3 -- It made me realize I had more interests than I thought! I think so highly of this book that I purchased several copies to give to my colleagues as retirement presents. So long for now, I'm off to my next great adventure!

I was looking for just this kind of book. Most retirement books are talking about money,and selling you something, this book talks about your life. I am a nervous Nellie when it comes to change or decisions. I research till I know the topic as well as I can and then make my decision.

I saw myself in so many discriptions in the book. I was a workaholic. I now know better and I am trying to change my thinking about work and leisure. I have taken more time off this year than last year to date and plan a lot more days off. I thought my world would fall apart if I did this. It hasn't fallen apart-matter of fact work has gone along just fine without me! This is something of a shock. All those extra hours were a waste of time, my time! I still have a lot of work to do on learning to find my life and live it "Wild and Free", but I am making some progress.

This book made me think about retirement and life in a whole new way. The humor, quotes and exercises helped me understand my possibilities better. I am retiring next summer and moving on to the rest of my life and looking forward to it. Thank you Mr.Zelinski!

Ernie captures the aspects of retirement that many times go overlooked. I, like most people I know, have been obsessive about financial planning, but Ernie makes you think about those things that have the power to derail your retirement or make it great. It's all about attitude and planning for those realities that surely will come. I highly recommend this book, especially for those nearing retirement. We all worked too hard to make it to retirement only to have it ruined by intangible factors we can control. This book will give you lots to consider, and unlike finances, which can be depressing, these are things you can enjoy "fixing".

I love books that teach me something I never knew or prove that there are different ways of looking at things. If there's anyone who figured out the way to retire with comfort and contentment, it's Ernie Zelinski. Reading between the lines, you discover a lot about yourself and imagine who you will be as a retired person, in a way you never have before.

Whether it's 2010 or 2080 or beyond, "How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free" will always be timely and relevant to those wise enough to understand how critical retirement is in one's life.

Zelinski says that happiness doesn't care how you get there. We should focus more closely on his insights, such as the fact that retirement is not a time to snooze away the rest of your life. Instead, it's a time to awaken your senses and enjoy the world around you. Who wants to lie on their death bed musing over the fact that they didn't get enough naps? Eternity- that will be sufficient.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote that money can't buy you love. Zelinksi points out that if money could buy happiness, the happy poor population would be selling happiness to the wealthy, unhappy souls of the world. It's sad to ponder that the world's impoverished, underdeveloped and under-privileged have always attracted the depressed and depraved wealthy who have nothing else to do but spend money for a moment of joy or pleasure.

Even though we'll need to save money to live on and live out our retirement years, Ernie shares over thirty-five elements of happiness that those retirement funds and 401k's can't buy. The greatest lesson I have personally learned from "How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free" is all about how to plan your journey with diligence and wisdom toward peace of mind.

Bob Molavi, BA Econ, FMA

As a coach to financial advisors, I highly recommend this retirement book as THE one to read. Ernie offers a fresh perspective on retirement that is powerful, simple and engaging. He effectively reformulates what is typically a dry and frightening subject into a page-flipper that few authors have managed to pull off.

This isn't your typical retirement book. There's no technical jargon or scare tactics. Instead, Ernie's entertaining and thought provoking style reminds us that it's not just about who's got the heaviest nest egg, but more about taking time to appreciate the bigger picture. As a "connoisseur of life", Ernie takes us on a happy, wild tour taking us back to even the wisdom of Plato & Socrates. He reminds us on how important it is to take time from working life to self-actualize and grow as human beings, and that if we're not careful, we may actually miss the stress of our jobs when we retire.

Ernie provides helpful anecdotes that if we don't start enjoying the activities we enjoy now, more than likely we won't enjoy them during retirement either.

If you prefer hacking away behind a cubicle and taking the difficult way through life, then don't get this book. If you're looking for a "wealth" of insight about what it takes to have a happy retirement, grab a coffee, and enjoy the ride. You'll be glad you did.