55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal, Elizabeth White
55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal, Elizabeth White
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55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal
Your Guide to a Better Life

Author: Elizabeth White

Narrator: Elizabeth White

Unabridged: 8 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/08/2019


Synopsis

A 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.

About Elizabeth White

Elizabeth White is an author and aging solutions advocate for older adults facing uncertain work and financial insecurity. Most recently she served as Special Advisor to the Executive Director of Senior Service America. Before joining SSA, she was the Chief Operating Officer of a midsize nonprofit focused on improving economic conditions in Africa. She is also an entrepreneur, having cofounded and led a chain of decorative home stores in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York. She began her career in international development at the World Bank. Ms. White earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and a BS in Political Science from Oberlin College. She resides in Washington, DC, with her daughter and grandson. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lee on January 31, 2019

This book grew out of an essay that Elizabeth White wrote entitled “You Know Her,” in which she describes what it felt like to be suddenly downwardly mobile after her business failed. Her story struck a chord and the piece went viral. White could be anyone you or I know. She is a well-educated, prof......more

Goodreads review by Roxie on May 27, 2019

I found this book just when I needed it - three days after I decided to finally retire from my 42 year employment in the mortgage business. It is written in an energetic style, with good humor, good research, and great examples in the stories of others living their lives anew. Each chapter relates t......more

Goodreads review by Ligaya on March 06, 2019

I am frustrated because this book could have been so much more!!! The first 100 pages are filled with complaining, meandering anecdotes, and urgings to not blame yourself for your predicament. Clearly, one needs to take SOME measure of responsibility, particularly if you were blessed with a high sal......more

Goodreads review by Colette on October 05, 2018

This book was a combination of interesting and depressing to me. We are inundated in social and news media with success stories of people who gave everything they had to a business and became huge successes. We don’t hear as often about the businesses that didn’t suceed, and the impact on finances a......more

Goodreads review by Jay on August 29, 2020

I found myself in the age group in the title, and laid off the week before I picked this book up. I wanted to understand if this was more of a guidebook or more of a motivational book. It is a combination. Much of the book is what I would call coach-talk, in effect a coach trying to restore the fire......more