If you're approaching retirement or a life/job change this is a book worth reading.

The book prepares the reader to feel confident in oneself and more forward thinking. The set up in the first part explains how we grow and strenghten personally and professionally. Then we are shown how to capture all of our knowledge and leverage it to improve ones life (or help others improve). It is an easy read in the sense that the writer explains the concepts simply and in terms that can be consdiered very common sense. I have purchased copies to give as gifts to friends and families.

I really wanted to like this book. I think its a very important topic, both to me personally and to society more generally. The basic messages of the book about finding purpose in the second half of life and transitioning your focus, priorities and sense of purpose are good. But it feels like it was written for a very specific and small slice of society. For those people who have so totally consumed their early life with career pursuits as to be near caricatures of power-obsessed, money chasing, Type-A personalities. In truth, most people are not that. Most people are far more nuanced than the people he was speaking to in this book. Most in their 50s are also still consumed with many of life's responsibilities like raising kids and paying for college. I also take issue with his "you are in decline, accept it" set up. He laces it with research, but I'd summarize it again as being focused on a very slim portion of society. Instead, I would title the chapter "Lightning rarely strikes twice" ... meaning, you were a super performer because you did something awesome in your 20s. Don't expect a repeat. Evolve and grow. And yet, the core messages are good and there are valuable things to take away from the book. So, overall, its gets 3 stars.

Great read from a Christian author wisdom beyond measure!

Logical and systematic guide with good examples to help navigate a successful second half of your life. I recommend reading it slowly and absorb as much as possible.

The book begins with Brooks telling the story of someone well known (he does not identify him) melting down on a plane because he felt like all his work had been for nothing. Having been at the top of his game, in his later years he knew he no longer measured up to that standard and judged his past accomplishments by his present ability. This is a warning. Brooks follows this anecdote with a chapter demonstrating that most people hit their decline much sooner than they recognize professionally. The bad news is that the decline comes sooner than we would expect. The good news is that it is a particular type of decline. In general, younger people tend to be more adaptable and experience a higher degree of fluid intelligence. This is why software “upgrades” becomes “frustrating changes” at some point in life. On the other hand, there are new intelligences that open up. People tend to become wiser––having messed more things, perhaps––and they also tend to become more articulate. Some professions, especially humanities, tend to gain in acumen as time goes on, largely because of the volume of background knowledge that must be obtained. So, the bad news is tempered by some good news, as long as we are prepared to accept it and adjust ourselves to its reality. Brooks argues that to age gracefully we must adapt our expectations. It simply isn’t feasible for a fifty year old to expect the same results with the same effort as someone in their mid-twenties. In fact, we are likely to work ourselves to death is we try to even those things out. That is why burnout around middle age is so common. Rather than crash and burn, we should attempt to adjust our expectations gradually. We should remember that we are going to die and live with both the anticipation of what that means and the realization of the limitations that brings. As a result, we should focus more on deep relationships, our spiritual journey (which for Brooks is a blend of Eastern religion and Roman Catholicism), be honest about our changing expectations with those around, and ultimately look for new opportunities that can best use our changing abilities. This is a useful book. There is wisdom in much of what Brooks writes, and this is no exception. As someone who has experienced real decline in several areas of his life, Brooks is speaking as one who is on the journey and is seeking to encourage on the road. From Strength to Strength may be just the sort of book that helps someone struggling with decline from despairing when the inevitable changes come. On the other hand, for those still on the rise, this may be the sort of warning that drives people to reconsider the path they take to make the decline less precipitous.

Deciding what to do in retirement is always tough. Getting to the point where you are comfortable and looking forward to it is very tough for some people. This is worth a read for those who have always been on the track up and up in their career and are seeing it slow a bit.

The book addresses the transitions associated with the second half of your life. It’s a well written and referenced guide.