Book Reviews
Senior Voice of Florida
2/1/2005
Purpose and Power in Retirement by Harold G. Koenig, M.D., is subtitled New Opportunities for Meaning and Significance.
That’s a powerful set of words and a lot of intention to pack into a single paperback book of 204 pages, but Koenig has accomplished just what he said he would in the opening paragraphs of his book.
"Since I’m only going to live once," he writes, "and this is my last chance, I don’t want to miss the real purpose of why I’m here - especially why I’m here in this place at this time.
"I wish I could stop worrying about it. But there is that persistent, nagging thought: I want more out of life. I want to continue to make a difference in the world.
"I know that I’m not alone with these struggles."
If you have entered into the New Year with similar thoughts, this book is for you. It is a solid work, filled with a lot of substantial food, meat, and potatoes, if you will, for the mind and for the soul. It is not heavy food, not likely to give you indigestion, but rather, palatable fare and easy to digest.
Koenig is a successful medical doctor and a Christian who applies his philosophy to anyone who has lived the first half of his life, and is beginning to think about retirement and the next half of his life, or for someone who is on the verge of retirement and the final third of her life or for a person who is already into the retirement phase of human life as we know it today in the 21st century. In a word, it’s a book for everybody.
Koenig’s thesis is that retiring from one thing is simply a door opening into new and different opportunities. "Unprecedented new opportunities" is the specific term he uses. And we all know what unprecedented means: new, novel, unheard of, something that never has happened before. And all of this appears in the introduction - the first nine pages.
He begins the main body of his book by tracing a history of retirement, and it’s an eye opener. Do you know how age 65 came to be a magic age, one in which we are no longer required to work for our daily bread? Koenig does, and he spells it out for his readers in words and sentences and paragraphs that are lucid and understandable.
He does not give us pie charts and graphics. He gives us thoughts and ideas and facts.
Koenig writes about alternatives to the potential for health problems and a shortened life span that can be the result of an un-purposeful retirement. He speaks to the demons which bring about stress and how to manage them. He reminds us that not all stress is bad.
He writes about living a healthy life - and that means giving up bad habits, taking care to eat properly, staying active, exercising the mind by learning new things, finding the value of volunteering and cultivating spirituality.
The vista doesn’t go away as we grow older, Koenig seems to say. But it does change, and each of us needs to change with it. This book is his way of helping us look out our particular window and see the new landscape before us.
Following that first glance out the window, we need to recognize the possibilities of what we are seeing, to really understand what we are looking at, and then to climb through that window and make the best use of all of the resources left to us; physical, mental, spiritual, financial, social, and familial.
Just as Koenig states, each of us is only going to live once and this is our last chance. We must not miss the purpose of why we are here, especially why we are here at this particular time and in this special place.
"Make the most of your life, friend," Koenig whispers in our ear. "They only hand them out one to a customer."
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Christian Marketplace
5/1/2004
The John Templeton Foundation is perhaps best known for the Templeton Prize, an annual award created in 1972 by global investor Sir John Templeton to reward religious endeavor, in the same way in which the Nobel prizes reward endeavor in the disciplines of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. This prize is awarded to a living individual who has shown originality in advancing ideas and institutions that deepen the world’s understanding of God and of spiritual life and service. Valued at approximately 795,000 pounds, more than $1.4 million, it is the largest annual prize given to an individual. However, this is just one aspect of the Foundation. It also funds hundreds of research projects every year to explore areas of spiritual research and discovery.
The Templeton Foundation Press publishes a range of titles that shed light on similar aspects concerning faith and the relationships between spirituality and health, and science and religion.
One of the most popular authors published by Templeton Foundation Press is Harold G. Koenig, MD, whose books deal with practical issues of health, retirement, and spirituality in a forthright manner, outlining the alternatives and suggesting solutions for problems that other books often just ’talk over.’
Harold G. Koenig, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Koenig has published extensively in the fields of mental health, geriatrics, and religion. His research on religion, health, and ethical issues in medicine has been featured on over 40 US national and international TV and radio news programs, and in over 200 national and international newspapers of magazines. He is the editor of the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine and has given testimony before the US Senate concerning the benefits of religion and spirituality on health. But his many achievements have not come easily. As we shall see later, Dr. Koenig has had an extraordinary life and, as he puts it, he has ’a few years yet’ before he reaches the statutory retirement age that he helps so many prepare for.
First of Dr. Koenig’s titles to be published this year is Purpose and Power in Retirement: New Opportunities for Meaning and Significance that is available now in paperback. Age Concern recently published a report indicating that the baby boom generation numbers 17 million in the UK. Assuming a proportion will retire at 60, this generation, comprising 28% of the UK population, will begin to retire in 2006. In America the baby boom generation numbers 80 million. How can they plan for retirement? Purpose and Power in Retirement examines the situation in the US and explodes the myths about retirement and, based on a comprehensive distillation of contemporary international research, offers constructive advice for planning a fulfilling retirement that can be universally applied.
Later in the season Faith in the Future: Healthcare, Aging, and the Role of Religion will assess the developing crisis in healthcare for the growing elderly population, and suggest solutions. The book also examines the latest research on the link between spirituality and health. Religious faith and practice appear to foster better health among older people, reducing the need for repeated hospitalizations as well as the length of hospital stays. There are provocative findings on religion and longevity. Research also indicates it is possible that prayer has a significant impact on the immune function. Additionally, studies show that volunteering significantly reduces the level of toxic stress in our lives, thus offering protection from depression and perhaps even from some physical illnesses. So, for both the person needing help and the person offering help, there are significant health benefits.
Finally, in The Healing Connection: The Story of a Physician’s Search for the Link between Faith and Health, Dr. Koenig shares his own, often surprising personal story including his personal crisis that resulted in an emotional breakdown, disruptive behavior that led to his expulsion from medical school, and to battling with mental illness as a street person in San Francisco. He had no idea that he would become a medical scientist, study factors that help people cope with chronic illness and stresses associated with aging and depression, and explore the effects that religious faith and practice have on mental and physical health. He had no idea he would fight against slowly progressive and disabling arthritis that would dramatically affect his own physical challenges and cause him to face the same challenges that many of his patients encounter.
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Mid-West Book Review, The - Oregon, WI
3/1/2003
Purpose and Power in Retirement: New Opportunities for Meaning and Significance
by Harold G. Koenig (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Professor
of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center) is a straightforward, "reader-friendly"
guide that dispels common retirement myths, and offers invaluable, practical
advice for making the most of one’s "golden years," including
reaping the benefits of volunteering, learning to live healthy for a better
quality of life, reducing personal stress, and more. An excellent and very highly
recommended instructional and reference guide to reaping the most out of our
retirement years, Purpose and Power in Retirement should be a part
of every community library Retirement Preparation and Personal Growth collection.
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Vancouver Sun, The
1/29/2003
Finding fulfillment in the golden years:
For many, retirement is not the end -- freed from job constraints and company
loyalty, they find themselves able to pursue their passions and help others
along the way.
As Canadians look forward to living almost 30 years longer than their ancestors
of 100 years ago, the traditional concept of "retirement" makes less
sense than it ever did.
"For many who retire, the greatest luxury is returning to work on their
own terms," says Koenig.
He urges older people to seize the opportunity to develop a vision of a life
beyond steady wages, a life filled with purpose that "makes a difference
for at least one other person."
"People who are getting older should ask themselves, if they can afford
to leave work: ’Am I in a field where it would be good to step aside for younger
people?" Anderson says.
If an older employee can’t keep up with the rising demands of changing computer
technology, for example, Anderson says they might want to consider moving on.
As well, people in jobs that require physical strength and endurance, like some
firefighters, soldiers and nurses may have to think about stepping aside for
younger workers, Anderson says. But he can think of many people, including doctors,
who just get better with age.
Men and women who are aging must resist internalizing the popular stigma against
the elderly and retired, which says they’re not as worthy and useful as the
young, Anderson noted.
They could learn something from the respect for elders displayed by Canada’s
native Indians, Anderson said in an interview from Terrace, where he was teaching
ethics to native Indians entering the Christian ministry.
"The natives joke with me," he says, "that I’m just getting
old enough now that I might have something valuable to teach."
Too many elderly people, especially men, make the mistake of putting their
entire identity into their job, he says. "When they retire, they’re lost.
They feel useless. They need to learn their meaning in life is not exhausted
by employment."
People who are getting older should look hard into how best they could continue
to contribute to the common good, Anderson says. It might be in ways beyond
regular employment: In volunteering to help others locally or around the globe;
taking care of children, or pursuing a calling, like art or music, which adds
beauty to the world.
On that theme, Harold Koenig, a medical doctor who heads North Carolina’s
Duke University Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health, says
people entering retirement are in a prime position to reassess their lives to
give it greater meaning.
In his book Purpose and Power in Retirement, Koenig debunks the myths that
retired people normally disengage from society and find happiness in pursuing
leisure and pleasure. It just doesn’t work that way, Koenig says, citing a wealth
of studies into the relationship between aging, health, ethical outlook and
spirituality.
Turning on the TV set and withdrawing from the world, Koenig says, is not
a sign a senior is content. It more often signals depression and disappointment.
People don’t even need a lot of money to enjoy retirement, Koenig maintains.
Although studies show very low-income people are not as satisfied in retirement
as wealthier people, Koenig says "Once basic needs are met, there is no
proportional increase in happiness with further increases in income."
Contentment in retirement, Koenig says, comes from what he broadly calls "spiritual
involvement," which he defines as pursuing wider horizons of meaning, something
beyond just recreation.
People in their retirement years urgently long for a deep sense of purpose,
Koenig says. The ones who put energy into finding it end up productive, connected
and successful in old age.
Citing studies, Koenig says satisfaction in retirement typically flows from
having a positive attitude, spiritual faith, reaching out to others and cultivating
the virtue of generosity. "Happiness comes as a natural consequence of
worthy actions," he says.
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Globe-News
12/1/2002
Would it surprise you to know that the idea of retirement, the notion that
one could leave the workplace and spend one’s life in leisure and comfort,
was the result of marketing efforts by private entrepreneurs after World War
II?
Opportunistic development corporations and insurance companies fostered that
ideal about 40 to 50 years ago.
Prior to that, it was common for older adults to work productively until their
health made it physically impossible to do so.
In fact, a 1928 edition of Webster’s dictionary did not associate retirement
with advancing age. The author of this splendid book reveals that fact and more.
Koenig, an associate professor of psychiatry and associate professor of medicine
at Duke University Medical Center, is an expert on aging and mental health.
He explores the concept of how to let go of old goals and how retirees can
identify new goals and a new purpose.
Koenig also cites 20 retirement myths, based on incorrect information, that
gave people unreal expectations about their retirement years.
Anyone who has recently retired or is facing forced retirement soon should
do themselves a favor and read this work.
This is a practical and inspiring guide to creating a retirement that can
include physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
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Tribune - Scottsdale AZ
9/19/2002
Many people think of retirement as days of relaxing, catching up on reading and golf, days and years for doing everything we always wanted to do but couldn’t because we didn’t have the time. We also think w’’ll have a happier retirement if we have lots of money. Soon enough we realize these beliefs are not quite true. Scientific and medical research suggests that once basic needs are met, there is no proportional increase in happiness with further income. Wealth alone does not produce happiness-happiness can come as a natural consequence of worthy actions.
Scientific research shows that people who are more involved in religious and spiritual practices experience greater well-being, less depression, and generally fuller and happier lives. Dr. Koenig has suggestions for developing spirituality if it isn’t already part of your life. He also encourages us to cultivate generosity (you can be generous with more than money); gives tips for reducing stress; and urges people to exercise, eat well and pay attention to their weight. He summarizes his guidelines with “10 Steps to a Purpose-Filled Retirement.”
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Library Journal
9/15/2002
Both Autry and Koenig explore the spiritual and development aspects of retirement
from a Christian perspective, noting that people underestimate how difficult
it is to switch from the working world to "the land of no boss." A
solid plan for retirement, they agree, will provide happiness and a seamless
transition from one’s career. Far from being the end of one’s life, retirement
should instead be seen cheerfully as that "one-third of life that no longer
has the restrictions of the first two-thirds." Autry, a former Fortune-500
executive, champions the notion that living healthily, volunteering, and growing
spiritually in retirement "can become a liberating path toward a life of
opportunity and personal and spiritual growth." An over-arching focus on
connecting with the people who love and need you, with nature, and with your
inner self permeates this book. Koenig (psychiatry and medicine, Duke University
Medical Center) will appeal more to eggheads. Well-researched and packed with
statistics and studies (and 286 endnotes!), his book observes that "baby
boomers will be the healthiest, most physically active, best-educated group
of retirees in history." In an academic tone, he encourages retirees to
"make a meaningful difference for at least one other person" in the
world. Yes, retirees have earned the right to relax, but while "recreation
and a little self-indulgence are definitely part of the picture…they are
not at the center of the picture." Offering more heart and authoritative
how-to advice, Autry’s book is recommended for public libraries. Koenig writes
more as a social scientist than a guru, and thus his book is more suitable for
academic libraries. For the cut-and-dried crowd, try Lynn O’Shaughnessy’s The
Retirement Bible.
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Charlotte Observer
9/3/2002
Harold Koenig has a message for older America: Get off the couch, turn off
the TV and do something.
Actually, Koenig, director of Duke University’s Center for the Study
of Religion/Spirituality and Health, is much more tactful than that. But in
his new book, Purpose and Power in Retirement: New Opportunities for Meaning
and Significance (Templeton Foundation Press, $19.95), Koenig argues that
we’ll all be a lot happier in retirement if we find work or a volunteer
job that gives our lives meaning.
Koenig, a geriatric physician and psychiatrist, decided to write the book because
he sees many healthy older adults who view retirement as a time to disengage
from society. At the same time, he meets many seniors who question the purpose
of their lives, especially when they become ill or lose loved ones.
All of us have read stories of seniors who start businesses or volunteer hundreds
of hours, but many healthy seniors view retirement strictly as a time for leisure.
Fewer than a third of retirees do volunteer work, and one study found the elderly
spend nearly half their free time watching television.
The notion of retirement as a time to kick back and have fun is a fairly recent
one, Koenig says, popularized in the ’50s and ’60s by entrepreneurs
who marketed leisure retirement communities, such as Arizona’s Sun City.
Nothing wrong with fun, Koenig says, but longer life spans mean that retirement
could easily amount to a third of our lives. "After vacationing for a
while, a few months pass, pretty soon you say, ’Hey, is this it?’
" he says.
Koenig encourages patients to take on a service activity. Everyone can do something
to really help people, he says. Even something as simple as making phone calls
to check up on homebound people provides a real help. "If (seniors) are
feeling bored or wondering why they’re still alive, there are these things
they can do with their talents they still have," he says.
Studies have also shown that people who have a strong purpose in life often
feel better mentally and physically.
It often takes a lot of energy to make the firsts step, he says. "But
once you develop new momentum in a good direction, that tends to be self-fulfilling."
One way to start might be to find a friend or neighbor to volunteer with you,
because it’s tough to go in completely new to an organization."
Figure out what you really love doing, he says. Then think about how you can
use that talent to help someone. "It’s doing something in the world,"
he says, "that makes life meaningful."
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Publishers Weekly
8/12/2002
In this thoughtful self-help manual, Duke University associate medicine professor Koenig explores life after retirement as an opportunity for growth. He presents a stimulating overview of the social trends—e.g., the shift from older Americans working far past the age of 65 (in the 1800s) to older Americans with increased economic independence (in the 1900s)—that led to the common view of retirement years as leisure time. Koenig debunks the myths that surround this life period and argues that embarking on a life of relaxation is actually counter-productive to one’s health. A life of self-indulgence may lead to “lower levels of well-being” brought on by weight gain and marital problems, he says. Koenig contends that a successful retirement results not from a high income, but rather from identifying a higher purpose in life that will lead to emotional fulfillment. Although everyone must design their own retirement goals, Koenig suggests choosing activities that benefit others and that are based on talents or abilities a retiree possesses and will enjoy utilizing. He recommends seeking out volunteer opportunities, and also stresses deepening one’s personal spirituality in retirement. Those who share the author’s strong religious orientation will benefit the most from his advice. A committed Christian, he nevertheless believes that all religions can offer the means to spiritual development and offers here resources for people of many faiths, as well as for those who are uncertain of their spiritual direction. Altogether, it makes for an introspective look at a lengthening period in the lives of older Americans.
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