Work Less, Live More:
the Way to Semi-Retirement
2007 (2nd Edition)
by
Bob Clyatt
Nolo press
www.nolo.com
ISBN 13: 978-1-4133-0705-4 (pbk.)
Dropping out of the rat race may seem
an unattainable dream to most people, especially in these stressful
economic times, but Clyatt manages to show us ways in which many people
of differing economic status have managed to do so successfully.
Rather than working ourselves into an early heart attack, Clyatt
proposes we develop an active plan to gradually reduce our working
hours and semi-retire years, even decades, before the traditional
retirement age.
Clyatt’s book will appeal to several groups: those in their 20s
and 30s who anticipate leaving their full-time work grind some day,
those in their 40s and 50s who already may have reached the burn-out
stage, and those who already are semi-retired or retired but who
suspect they aren’t taking full advantage of their situation.
This updated edition begins with a fairly long but meaty
introduction: why we go sour on work, how to escape boredom via
semi-retirement, how to make best use of the book and some portraits of
typical semi-retirees. He also provides a quick summary of all the
chapters.
Chapter One explores the concept of work and leisure in our and
other times and cultures; This approach is effective because it forces
the reader to reexamine preexisting ideas and question them. “Live
Below Your Means,” (Chapter Two) goes on to attack the mathematics of
semi-retirement and how to prepare for it and manage it. Chapter Three
deals with investing options and portfolio building; the next chapter
discusses safe withdrawal rates (always a point of contention among
financial advisers.) Tax reduction and tax benefits for semi-retirees
are the focus of Chapter 5. “Do Anything You Want But Do Something,”
the sixth chapter, is filled with wonderful suggestions on making the
transition to semi-retirement, and options for part-time jobs amenable
to the semi-retired lifestyle.
In the final two chapters, Clyatt briefly addresses the common
challenges semi-retirees face and gives advice for leading a simple but
fulfilling life with the extra time we have carved out for ourselves as
semi-retirees.
Clyatt doesn’t paint semi-retirement as the be-all and end-all of
achieving happiness (which it isn’t) but approaches it very
realistically as a solution for some people some of the time. He
encourages you not to limit your thinking, and to question all his
suggestions. He also takes care to address all the diverse situations
people can be in, so whatever your particular problem is, you will find
some useful information here. Throughout the book he suggests additional
resources in the form of books, articles, scholarly studies, websites
and online forums and there is an Appendix at the end of the book with
additional suggestions.
For those of you who like workbooks, Clyatt has also written a companion workbook, The Work Less, Live More Workbook..
