Synopses & Reviews
Marc Freedman, hailed by the New York Times as “the voice of aging baby boomers [seeking] meaningful and sustaining work later in life,” makes an impassioned call to accept the decades opening up between midlife and anything approximating old age for what they really are – an entirely new stage of life, which he dubs the encore years.
In The Big Shift, Freedman bemoans the fact that the discussion about longer lives in America has been entirely about the staggering economic costs of a dramatically aging society when, in reality, most of the nation’s 78 million boomers are not getting old … at least not yet. The whole 60- to 80-year-old period is simply new territory, he writes, and the people in this period constitute a whole new phenomenon in the 21st century.
The Big Shift is animated by a simple premise: that the challenge of transitioning to and making the most of this new stage—while deeply personal—is much more than an individual problem; it’s an urgent social imperative, one affecting all generations. By embracing this time as a unique period of life – and providing guidance, training, education and support to the millions who are in it – Freedman says that we can make a monument out of what so many think of as the leftover years. The result could be a windfall of talent that will carry us toward a new generation of solutions for growing problems in areas like education, the environment, and health care.
Review
The New York Times, April 30, 2011
Calls The Big Shift an imaginative work with the potential to affect our individual lives and our collective future.”
The Wall Street Journal, May 9, 2011
Says its an invaluable and inspiring read.”
USA Today, April 25, 2011
Hails Freedman as a natural storyteller, a deep researcher and a forward thinker.”
New York Journal of Books, June 2011
thorough, thoughtful, and exceptionally well written
.Page One is a most encompassing volume on the issue of the future of journalism and newspapers
Highly recommended."
Synopsis
With personal stories, visionary thinking, and practical advice, Shift offers a new perspective to all the people entering their 40s, 50s, and 60s asking the question: Whats next?
Synopsis
Marc Freedman, hailed by theNew York Timesas "the voice of aging baby boomers seeking] meaningful and sustaining work later in life," makes an impassioned call to accept the decades opening up between midlife and anything approximating old age for what they really are -- an entirely new stage of life, which he dubs the encore years. In The Big Shift, Freedman bemoans the fact that the discussion about longer lives in America has been entirely about the staggering economic costs of a dramatically aging society when, in reality, most of the nation's 78 million boomers are not getting old -- at least not yet. The whole 60- to 80-year-old period is simply new territory, he writes, and the people in this period constitute a whole new phenomenon in the 21st century.
The Big Shiftis animated by a simple premise: that the challenge of transitioning to and making the most of this new stage -- while deeply personal -- is much more than an individual problem; it's an urgent social imperative, one affecting all generations. By embracing this time as a unique period of life -- and providing guidance, training, education and support to the millions who are in it -- Freedman says that we can make a monument out of what so many think of as the leftover years. The result could be a windfall of talent that will carry us toward a new generation of solutions for growing problems in areas like education, the environment, and health care.
Synopsis
An invaluable and inspiring read”* offering a new perspective to people entering their 50s, 60s, and 70s asking the question: Whats next?
(*Wall Street Journal)
Synopsis
Marc Freedman, hailed by the New York Times as the voice of aging baby boomers [seeking] meaningful and sustaining work later in life,” offers a recipe for how we can transform Americas coming midlife crisis into a midlife opportunity. Millions of people in their fifties, sixties, and seventies are searching for answers to the question Whats next?” and are navigating their way to an entirely new stage of life and work, one that could last as long as midlife. Shifting to a much longer lifespan isnt as easy as it may seem. Unlike the transition from adolescence to adulthood, managing this process for many is a do-it-yourself project. Drawing on powerful personal stories, The Big Shift provides not only direction but a vision of what it would take to help millions find their footing in a new map of life.
About the Author
Marc Freedman is founder and CEO of Civic Ventures. An award-winning social entrepreneur, frequent commentator in the national media, and the author of Encore, Prime Time, and The Kindness of Strangers, Freedman spearheaded the creation of Experience Corps and The Purpose Prize. He lives in San Francisco with his family.