Books Archive

Next Years Best Years

Retirement Wisdom · Jul 31, 2025 ·

by Harry Agress, MD

Can you make your next years your best ones yet? Harry Agress thinks so – and he has receipts.

You can learn a lot in a decade of retirement – if you’re paying attention. And Harry Agress has been a keen observer. In Next Year’s Best Years, Harry Agress, MD, offers more than just his reflections on retirement—he provides a practical roadmap, based on his experiences and observations, for creating a vibrant and meaningful life in your post-career years.

Tapping into different perspectives as a physician, photographer, and retiree, he lays out a pathway for the transition from work to retirement with pillars of purpose, passion, and planning. One of his big ideas is that retirement does not have to be the end of productivity, but a shift in how you define it. Rather than the withdrawal many people experience in a “traditional” retirement, Agress encourages people to reimagine it as a new stage for growth. He underscores the importance of mindset, urging both retirees and pre-retirees to reject retirement as a period of decline. Instead, it can be a new beginning, with many options and opportunities for contribution and growth – if you’re open-minded enough to see and explore them.

Agress’ book is about bringing intentionality to retirement. Thriving in retirement doesn’t happen by accident. It takes introspection to hone in on what truly brings you joy and meaning—and then to deliberately make space for those pursuits. Like many of my wisest podcast guests, he recommends starting small: trying new activities, rekindling old interests, or volunteering in ways that connect with your values. Experimentation can lead to unexpected interests and even a renewed sense of identity.

Health plays a critical role in the retirement journey Agress envisions. He stresses the importance of preventive care, consistent movement, and regular medical checkups. But equally important, and often overlooked, is taking care of your emotional well-being. Agress advises readers to proactively nurture relationships, seek out intergenerational connections, and get professional help for mental health challenges that can crop up in this big transition.

Purpose is another recurring theme in the book. He shares how he rediscovered purpose through photography, combining travel, creativity, and storytelling in his post-medical career. While it started with commercial aspirations, it pivoted to a philanthropic one, highlighting that purpose doesn’t need to be grand or externally validated—it can be done your own way, at a scale that fits your life, and still become incredibly fulfilling. He encourages people to listen to what excites them. Perhaps it’s writing, painting, mentoring, gardening, community service, or something else entirely. His example may inspire you to follow your own spark of curiosity and energy to test out a new interest.

The book acknowledges the importance of financial planning but extends it go beyond money, to include planning for time, relationships, and health.
He warns that without a new structure, retirees can drift. He recommends creating a loose framework that preserves some flexibility and creates days with meaningful engagement, connection, and self-care to help retirees avoid the common and dangerous pitfalls of boredom and isolation.

Next Years Best years is full of relatable stories, and Dr. Agress spotlights over 100 opportunities to get involved with activities. One of the things I like most about this book is the inclusion of 60 Best Practices Resources, accessible via a QR code.

You come away from reading Next Year’s Best Years understanding that life in retirement is much more in your control than people think. Agress’s tone is warm but honest. He doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges, but he shines a light on different ways to navigate them with resilience. His book offers a reassuring message: your best years aren’t behind you—they’re still to come, if you’re willing to actively shape them.

Go for it.

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Retirement Wisdom · May 19, 2025 ·

by Mary Catherine Bateson

Can old dogs learn new tricks? I’m not sure about the canines, but I’m often disappointed when I talk with people who believe that older adults can’t. I’ve seen too many examples of people who do.

Mary Catherine Bateson’s Composing a Further Life explores the evolving nature of aging, particularly the emerging phase of life that she calls “Adulthood II.” The big idea is that people in their fifties, sixties, and beyond are not merely experiencing the latter part of their lives but rather a distinct, meaningful phase filled with opportunities for learning, reflection, and service.

This book takes on many outdated beliefs about aging, which persist today. The book offers an optimistic perspective, arguing that older adults today have the opportunity to redefine their later years through personal growth, creativity, and contributions to their communities.

Bateson was a noted anthropologist and the daughter of renowned intellectuals Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson. This follow-up book builds upon her lifelong study of human development to examine how extended longevity provides new opportunities for reinvention. Through relatable personal stories and insights, she profiles people who’ve embraced this stage of life with purpose and applied the wisdom of adaptability.

The way most companies and institutions view traditional career arcs and retirement options continues to lack imagination. Bateson urges people to take control of their future with a proactive approach. She believes people can shape their growth as older adults, with the knowledge that they have both a lot to still learn and lots more to offer the world.

A New Life Stage

Bateson proposes Adulthood II as a new and distinct life stage. In her view, longevity trends have created a new extended period of middle age, which is different from both adulthood and old age. This phase is all about self-reinvention, contribution, and personal growth and fulfillment.

Composing a Further Life encourages people to reject he withdrawal of earlier versions of retirement and jump into this period of life with active engagement. Bateson highlights how people who embrace curiosity and learning find greater satisfaction in later life. She urges older adults to seek new experiences and pursuits, develop new skills, pursue creative endeavors, and stay mentally and socially active.

In Adulthood II, intergenerational relationships and mentorship come to the forefront. The book makes a compelling case for fostering connections with younger generations, noting that intergenerational relationships are usually mutually beneficial. Many of the people Bateson profiles report finding a new sense of purpose in mentoring, tutoring, and guiding the next generation.

A key part of redefining retirement comes from the evolving future of work. Traditional retirement is being reshaped by some phased approaches that allow some people the opportunity for the best of both worlds – meaningful work with greater flexibility.

Composing a Further Life is an inspiring and thought-provoking book that challenges conventional wisdom about retirement. Mary Catherine Bateson lays out a compelling argument for seeing later life as a time of continued growth, and significant contribution. It’s a thoughtful roadmap for how you can compose your own further life

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Retirement Wisdom · Apr 22, 2025 ·

When you retire, you’ll be leaving many things behind at the office. One thing to leave there is SMART goals—but not goals themselves. You’re retiring from full-time work, not retiring from life. In your new life, you can set your sights on new, meaningful goals. Think big about what you can do in the years ahead. Your goals may be different in your next phase of life and this book will get you started on the right track.

Caroline Adams Miller’s Big Goals: The Science of Setting Them, Achieving Them, and Creating Your Best Life explores the psychology and practical application of goal setting, drawing from both scientific research and real-world examples. The book builds on Miller’s expertise as an executive coach and Positive Psychology practitioner and her personal experiences as a recovered bulimia patient who went on to become an accomplished athlete, executive coach, and author.

At its core, the book demolishes the common practice of setting SMART goals, arguing instead for “hard goals” – objectives that push us beyond our comfort zones. She makes a compelling case that pursuing ambitious goals, when done correctly, leads to greater satisfaction than settling for easily attainable targets. Instead, Miller recommends applying the principles of Goal Setting Theory by Edwin Locke & Gary Latham, which leads to different approaches for learning goals versus performance goals.

One thing that stands out about this book is its basis in research, particularly drawing from the field of positive psychology. Big Goals covers concepts like “grit” (popularized by Angela Duckworth) and “flow” (developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi), showing how these can be leveraged in goal pursuit. She examines why some people consistently achieve difficult goals while others struggle, identifying specific habits and mindsets that make a difference.

The book is structured around Miller’s “BRIDGE” framework:

Bold: Setting audacious rather than incremental goals

Resilient: Developing the capacity to bounce back from setbacks

Inspiring: Choosing goals that energize and motivate

Doable: Breaking down big goals into manageable steps

Growth-oriented: Focusing on continuous improvement

Emotionally charged: Connecting goals to deep personal meaning

Miller provides practical strategies for implementing her framework and relatable stories that bring the science to life. Best of all, Big Goals includes a treasure trove of insightful exercises and tools. She also emphasizes the importance of social support and accountability in goal achievement and suggests ways to build these elements into your strategy.

What sets this book apart is its balanced approach. While advocating for ambitious goals, Miller acknowledges the pitfalls of perfectionism and unhealthy striving. She addresses how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy goal pursuits, drawing from her own experience with eating disorders to illustrate the importance of keeping things in perspective and focusing on your overall well-being while pursuing challenging objectives.

Big Goals is an inspiring, insightful, and illuminating book with research-backed strategies that help you set new goals in a way that tilts the odds of succeeding in your favor. It will change how you’re approaching your most meaningful pursuits in the years ahead.

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Big Goals: The Science of Setting Them, Achieving Them, and Creating Your Best Life

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Retirement Wisdom · Feb 18, 2025 ·

by Dr. Michael Greger

Dr. Michael Greger, known for his evidence-based approach to nutrition and health, and his educational website NutritionFacts.org, presents a thorough examination of aging science in How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older. The book systematically explores the biological mechanisms of aging and provides science-backed strategies to potentially slow, stop, and even reverse aspects of the aging process.

The book begins by introducing the nine hallmarks of aging identified by researchers: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication, many of which were beyond my level of knowledge. But Dr. Greger makes a strong case that understanding these processes is crucial for developing interventions that can target aging at its roots.

Throughout the book, Dr. Greger challenges common misconceptions about aging being an inevitable process. He presents compelling research suggesting that many age-related diseases and conditions might be preventable or reversible through specific lifestyle interventions. The author particularly emphasizes the role of diet, highlighting how certain foods and compounds can influence longevity pathways in the body.

A significant portion of the book is dedicated to examining various anti-aging interventions, from widely marketed supplements to cutting-edge pharmaceutical research. Dr. Greger meticulously evaluates the scientific evidence behind each intervention, often debunking expensive anti-aging products while highlighting more accessible, evidence-based alternatives. He maintains his characteristic approach of prioritizing whole food, plant-based solutions over pharmaceutical interventions when possible.

The book stands out for its rigorous scientific approach, citing hundreds of peer-reviewed studies to support his recommendations. However, he presents this complex information in an accessible manner, using analogies and clear explanations to help readers understand sophisticated biological concepts.

Best of all the book is packed with practical takeaways, including things we may know, but now will understand more about why they are critical:

First, eat smart. Prioritize consuming foods rich in phytochemicals, particularly berries, leafy greens, and whole grains, as these contain compounds that can activate longevity pathways. (After interviewing Dr. John LaPuma, Clinical Director and Founder of Chef Clinic in 2021, on food as medicine, I tried his recipe for a smoothie, which quickly became my breakfast staple. Now, my morning smoothie has been upgraded thanks to Dr. Greger).

Second, move. Build consistent exercise habits, because physical activity has been shown to influence multiple hallmarks of aging, particularly cellular senescence and mitochondrial function.

Third, sleep. Ensure you’re getting adequate sleep and managing stress as these factors significantly impact biological aging processes.

Fourth, connect. Meaningful relationships contribute to a longer and healthier life by reducing stress and promoting your overall well-being.

Finally, focus on evidence-based practices rather than expensive anti-aging products. Many of the most effective strategies for healthy aging are surprisingly simple and affordable.

You’ll find this book a valuable resource. Highly recommend.

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Read How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older

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Retirement Wisdom · Jan 26, 2025 ·

What are you bringing to retirement besides your 401(k)? One thing to leave behind are outdated beliefs about happiness reinforced by your full-time working years. It’s time to break free and craft your own.

Stephanie Harrison’s New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong is a refreshing and insightful exploration of happiness that offers a new perspective on happiness and well-being. It can help you redefine what happiness means in a world that often prioritizes individual achievement and material success over emotional well-being, relationships, and purpose.

Harrison, an expert in the science of happiness with a Master’s degree in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, brings a decade of research to bear in this groundbreaking book. She’s the founder of The New Happy, a company reaching millions worldwide with an innovative approach to well-being. She takes aim at what she calls “Old Happy” – the societal misconceptions about happiness based on extrinsic factors that often ultimately lead to dissatisfaction. Instead, Harrison lays out an alternative path pursuing true happiness by discovering your authentic self and using your unique gifts to help others, which is relevant and timely for anyone embarking on a new chapter.

New Happy distills complex psychological concepts in accessible and engaging ways, using the author’s beautiful artwork and visual elements to explain key ideas that will often resonate with your life experience. And it’s not just theoretical; it offers a step-by-step guide for you to apply the key principles, unwinding old habits and unlocking your personal gifts. The science is brought to life through stories and reflections from her personal experiences, sharing how her own striving led to exhaustion and a lack of fulfillment.

Stephanie Harrison’s New Happy is a timely and important contribution to the field of Positive Psychology and personal development. Its blend of scientific rigor, practical advice, and stunning visuals make it a valuable resource as you embark on creating a new life in retirement.

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