55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal

American author Elizabeth White had it all - advanced degrees from Harvard and Johns Hopkins University, an outstanding employment history and she'd started a business.

But the business failed and in her mid 50s White struggled to re-enter the workforce. She decided to write about her experience in an essay entitled "You Know Her''. The essay was posted on a Facebook page and within three days attracted 11,000 likes and over 1000 comments by many sharing similar experiences.

People wrote to her about their experiences too, many of which feature in this book 55, Underemployed and Faking Normal.

The book talks about the retirement schemes in the United States but it also shares a lot of tips about how to downsize, how to make the most of what you have and to make sacrifices so you can have the things that matter most. It talks a lot about the importance of not harking back to what you had or trying to impress others but to be content with how life is now.

White emphasizes the importance of forming friendships with others in the same boat and meeting regularly to look at ways to help each other in the latter years of working life when it can be tough to find work. The book lists a number of websites baby boomers can use to help them find work.

She talks about a woman she met called Zoe who was 62 and had $31 to her name. Zoe had never been so happy or grounded. She paid money to keep her possessions in a storage unit and after a year she couldn't remember what was in the unit and sold or gave all her possessions away. There are many powerful stories in this book about people like Zoe who have learnt to be happy with much less.

Couldn't put this book down. A great read!