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Advice & More November 2012

New Guide Books for Today’s Complex World

By Janice Doyle

As retirement approaches, many people wonder “What next?” and fall into traps of looking for happiness in inactivity and no commitments. Phil Burgess’s book Reboot! What to Do When Your Career Is over but Your Life Isn’t maintains that retirement the American way is neither historic nor natural.

The world is ever more complex to maneuver through! Who ya gonna call? Here are some new books to use as guides in some of life’s difficult places.

Art

If you got “too soon old” without learning to be a great artist, here’s help. The Wrinklies’ Guide to Drawing: New Pursuits for Old Hands by Richard Pomfret is a an easy-to-follow manual to help mature readers exercise their brains and try something new.

The book begins with basic drawing techniques and advice on materials and goes on to cover drawing landscapes, animals, cartoons and still life.

Other “Wrinklies” easy guide books include The Wrinklies Guide to Gardening, The Wrinklies Guide to Home Computing and The Wrinklies Guide to Keeping Supple.

 

iPads

AARP’s iPad Tech to Connect explains the complex little flat-screen iPad and teaches how to tap, swipe and pinch to get places. Then it shows and tells how to download apps and connect with friends before advising on ways to protect and secure the little machine. Large text and clear visuals make the book easy to use.

 

Caregiving

Dr. Ruth’s Guide for the Alzheimer’s Caregiver by Dr. Ruth Westheimer is the author’s simple, straightforward message for caregivers: You are not alone. The book includes resources, strategies, tips, tricks and attitudes to create the most supportive environment possible for both patient and caregiver. She deals with behavior management, home safety, doctor interaction and facilities.

 

Computers

The easiest way for a beginner to get what you want from your computer is to use The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Using Your Computer – for Seniors. This book is packed with what a first-timer needs to know to get started in every aspect of computers. It is written to be understood and is full of practical, easy tips and instructions.

 

Money

If you now have time to learn money management, you might like Managing Retirement Wealth, An Expert Guide to Personal Portfolio Management in Good Times and Bad by Julie Jason. The author is a portfolio manager who includes real-life scenarios, rewards, risks and direction for a variety of investments. The book is written to help retirees establish a system to get on course and stay on course with goals.

 

Retirement

As retirement approaches, many people wonder “What next?” and fall into traps of looking for happiness in inactivity and no commitments. Phil Burgess’s book Reboot! What to Do When Your Career Is Over but Your Life Isn’t maintains that retirement the American way is neither historic nor natural. He maintains that people should retire to work because it is smart for health and personal satisfaction reasons. His guidelines for “getting it right” and finding your retirement work have little to do with money and everything to do with making sense out of the rest of your life.

 

Books and Mothers

For mothers and sons who have shared a love of books (or for anyone who has always loved a good read) Will Schwalbe’s book The End of Your Life Book Club satisfies. The book celebrates the role books play in our own life stories as the author and his mother meet regularly for her cancer treatments in their book club for two. He shares a lifetime of book-and-mother memories interwoven with the books and discussions they share in her emotionally difficult time of facing her disease. It is an extraordinary journey to share.

All books are available through online sources such as Amazon.com.

 

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