RETIREMENT STEPPING STONES by Tony Hixon is meant to "Find Meaning, Live with Purpose, and Leave a Legacy." Even the cover conveys a positive, playful attitude, and Hixon tends to take a realistic approach, noting "in life you will encounter stumbling blocks. Turn them into stepping stones." He references "tough conversations about lifestyle, mental health, and the retirement transition." While it is not happy news to learn that "your chance of suffering from depression goes up by close to 40 percent after you retire," Hixon shares the personal story of his own mother's suicide and devotes an entire chapter to looking at burnout, loss of structure and purpose. He offers a companion workbook filled with valuable exercises such as defining your values. In many ways, the questions he poses are not unlike those we might ask our students and/or recent graduates: What are you passionate about? What have you always wanted to try? How could your skill set benefit others? This text will make readers think. For another recent perspective on work/life balance, see Adam Grant's essay "The Real Meaning of Freedom at Work" in The Wall Street Journal.

It's a little early for me, but I was curious about this book and the strategies I could begin on. This book is useful, particularly for those who need a little structured guidance to their reflection and planning. Overall, a useful resource. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In RETIREMENT STEPPING STONES, Tony Hixon has accomplished a holistic, reality-based approach to our later years, whether in full retirement or some modification of our working life. In clear, experience-grounded stories, Hixon presents the issues that we all have to face in finances and practical matters and widens the lens to include meaning, spirit, and what it means to live a good life. Hixon's motivation to write this book came from a personal tragedy and he has made a gift of his perspective, expertise, and big heart to help everyone forge a meangingful, joyful third act. Highly recommend -- especially for us reluctant to broach the subject. I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Being on the cusp of retiring I've been reading quite a bit of this phase in life and found some helpful advice and hints in this book. Thanks for the opportunity to preview

I'm so deeply sorry for the author's loss of his mother and think this a very constructive way to process the grief, as well as a beautiful tribute to her memory.

The psychology of money is often overlooked in favor of yields and returns and plans, but it's absolutely essential for managing money in a way that's fulfilling and serves our higher purpose. At the same time, the transition to retirement is also not always mindfully considered, to our detriment. Both of these complex but crucial topics are tackled in this book and it's done clearly, accessibly, and with actionable information and guidelines that will be very useful.

I would highly recommend this for anyone in their 50s, or anyone within 5-10 years of retirement. Thinking through the concepts presented and doing the pre-work suggested will go a long way for most people in ensuring a happy, meaningful, and secure retirement.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!