Read Any Good Books Lately on FIRE?

[RatherBeFishn]

I feel like I have the financial side of retirement figured out as best I can. So, now I'm looking more toward the 'softer' side..how will I spend my time, fullfil some dreams, not be bored, give something back,etc. I read another post here that talked about two books in this and so I read them. Here's what I thought.

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free was the best of the two..although I'm not sure either one really set me on fire. This book talked alot and I had the impression at times didn't have much to say. However, the thing I really liked was the idea of doing a mind-map (author calls Get-A-Life Tree) to capture things you've done and want to do more of, haven't done and would like to, and are doing now.

The other book, which was the New Retire-mentality I found a turnoff (in spite of the fact I learned in the book the author lives 60 miles from me). Basically, the premise was don't........retire that is. Keep working either doing something you love or what you are doing now part time. For some, this is the right path. But, not all and I felt the book pushed it too hard and left me feeling my life would be in the crapper if I didn't keeping working somehow.

So, I'm interested in other perspectives on these books (if you are reading this and happened to author one of them we'd love to hear from you). What else have you read that has inspired you for the psycological side of retirement?

 

[smooch]

"Get a Life - You Don't Need a Million to Retire Well" (can't remember author) and "Retire on Less Than You Think" by Fred Brock. I enjoyed Brock's book.

 

[Eagle43]

"Cashing in On The American Dream, How to Retire at 35" by Paul Terhorst. As to the aspects of early retirement, chapter 2 is entitled, "You can kick the work habit", he advises to look for meaning within yourself, not your job. He also advises to make a "to do" list, and to consider what you really do at work. And in retirement, the idea is to live, not to just dissipate time. This book is the gold standard for ER.

On another topic, if you have not read Ed Abbey's "Desert Solitaire", you might pick it up. Old Ed is a desert rat and an environmentalist, who did what he damn well pleased his entire life. He died early, at 62, though of cancer. You can get an idea at this link: http://www.abbeyweb.net/ Here's one of his quotes: " I have found through trial and error that I work best under duress. In fact I work only under duress."

 

[wanderer69]

What else have you read that has inspired you for the psycological side of retirement?

How about Passion Savings? JWr says it's a wonderful read.

 

[unclemick]

I have this 1954 tome - The Good Life - about a couple that left NYC in the 1930's and went to live in a cabin/house in Maine. A leftover from my 'Mother Earth News and Rodale Press days'.

I don't need no stinking books - in my youth, I had a Finn Grandmother on my Mother's side.

Heh, heh, heh, heh.

She had a secret formula for fishing worms, roses and - involving coffee grounds, sugar and some 'other' ingredients. Her Elderberry wine was the best I ever tasted.

 

[Eagle43]

I have this 1954 tome - The Good Life - about a couple that left NYC in the 1930's and went to live in a cabin/house in Maine. A leftover from my 'Mother Earth News and Rodale Press days'.

I don't need no stinking books - in my youth, I had a Finn Grandmother on my Mother's side.

Heh, heh, heh, heh.

She had a secret formula for fishing worms, roses and - involving coffee grounds, sugar and some 'other' ingredients. Her Elderberry wine was the best I ever tasted.

The good life was written by Helen and Scott Nearing. He lived to be 100, and she until 90 something. They started in Vermont, then moved to Maine after the ski industry moved into the Vermont area. They called their economy a use economy, and never bought anything (except property) on credit. A interesting couple, they were.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I believe thats a book worth setting FIRE to.

I tried reading a book on fire once, but it got a little too hot to handle.

 

[Cal]

I believe thats a book worth setting FIRE to.

I tried reading a book on fire once, but it got a little too hot to handle.

TH -
Are you "channeling" John Galt with those puns?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I could never pretend to do any such thing.

My blood vessels would burst from the surge of pure ego

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Nobody will top me on bad puns. I am the once and future king

I agree with Eagle 43 that Terhorst's book is the "gold standard of ER". I have tried to read other stuff but
never found anything close. Once I read Paul's little
book, that was it for me.

JG

 

[wanderer69]

Is that a book, pamphlet, or a ... religious tract??

All of the above?

I don't advocate book burning. OTOH, if it's really cold, ...

 

[ES]

wanderer69

Ok so what's the 69 for?

How ya doing old buddy?

 

[wanderer69]

hey ES! Very nice to see you and bookm and some of the NFB others! Sorry about the way that whole thing worked out. This place seems fine and it would please me if other matters got patched up (but no pressure there - just glad to see u here).

Did you introduce yourself?

the '69'? It was in my old name - pure coincidence. Now I use it because all the people I most admire on the internet have '69' in their screen/email names. (that's a joke).

 

[ES]

Greetings wanderer

Well that's water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned. There are a few things that happened that can't be swept away, but for the most part it's time to move on.

Did you introduce yourself?

I didn't know that ElSupremo needed an introduction.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Ya wouldnt be so Supremo if you did, now, would you

It IS great to see some more new and productive members piling in to counteract the horsepuckey and made up stuff I keep putting out.

 

[ES]

It IS great to see some more new and productive members piling in to counteract the horsepuckey and made up stuff I keep putting out.

Ah come on now th, some of your stuff is well above the horsepuckey level. And I'm sure there are at least some parts of it that are not made up.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

42.7% of it might be true.

 

[fletzie]

To reply to the original question...I do like the Brock book a lot. I originally linked to this forum from a link at this one: http://www.spendingwisely.com/

Another link from there is the Simple Living Forums which embrace the 'your money or your life' ideal of simplifying. (Brock has good suggestions on this, too.)

As for the 'touchy, feely' kind of approach I think these can give you some other goals than those traditional ones (golf, fishing, travel...although I think these are definitely great pasttimes).

I think the main thing they give you is some focus on determining what is the right 'activity' for you, the one thing or things that if you did not do it, you would be disappointed the rest of your life. For example, if you want to do volunteer work most NPR affiliated radio websites have a local volunteers link. You would get some of that same sort of info plus more.

Just a few thoughts!