55, underemployed, and faking normal Your guide to a better life

*Starred Review* According to the U.S. Census Bureau, two-thirds of Americans have no retirement savings; that, paired with a graying population, is leading to a retirement crisis. After her own failed business venture, the Harvard-educated White soon realized that her dire financial situation was not unique, and so she set out to write a guide to help others restructure their financial lives. She tackles topics like shame, borrowing money from friends and family, and deprivation, along with more concrete issues such as income and housing. Throughout, White offers practical solutions, such as making a casserole of interesting work with two or three income streams. She encourages readers to reach out to others and create a Resilience Circle, and Resilience Circle Reflections appear at the end of each chapter. The book is dotted with numerous interviews that convey raw and emotional perspectives from this vulnerable generation, including snippets like trying to appear normal is exhausting, and every year past fifty, it gets extremely difficult to find a good-paying job. This relevant and well-researched book will appeal not only to those 55 plus, but also to the generation coming right behind them who may face similar issues.--Jennifer Adams Copyright 2018 Booklist

This instructive debut from White, a former executive at the World Bank, explains how those in the later stages of their careers can survive unemployment and underemployment. White starts by laying bare her own struggles, which began at age 55 during the Great Recession after she unsuccessfully tried to start her own business and then realized the job market wasn't as ripe for her talents as she imagined. Calling herself "the poster child for broke baby boomers," she reveals personally tested strategies for surviving during tight times, including downsizing housing and possessions, accepting lower-paid positions, and considering entrepreneurship. White also considers how "faking normal" moments (ordering a glass of wine rather than water) for a financially struggling person become insidious habits that put finances even more deeply in jeopardy and advises tactics for gracefully considering cost during social settings. White includes many constructive tactics for surviving difficult situations large and small, including asking for help from friends or government programs, or even leaving the country for somewhere with a lower cost of living. Providing practical solutions with a focus on retirement and maximizing savings, White maintains authority with a realistic, empathetic tone throughout. This deeply useful work will resonate with aging readers of all income levels and situations. Agent: Gail Ross, Ross, Yoon. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.