Book Description
Do you know your Number?
What happens if you don't make it to your Number?
Do you have a plan?
The often-avoided, anxiety-riddled discussion about financial planning for a secure and fulfilling future has been given a new starting point in The Number by Lee Eisenberg. The buzz of professionals and financial industry insiders everywhere, the Number represents the amount of money and resources people will need to enjoy the active life they desire, especially post-career. Backed by imaginative reporting and insights, Eisenberg urges people to assume control and responsibility for their standard of living, and take greater aim on their long-term aspirations.
In 1999, Eisenberg was in the midst of downshifting from having served as the Editor-in-Chief of Esquire and other high profile positions. He was "half-in, half-out of the workplace" with an enviable consulting position at Time, Inc., and a family comfortably settled in the suburbs. That's when he received an unexpected offer from the Wisconsin-based Lands' End which, in the end, he couldn't resist. It meant uprooting his family and moving to the rural heartland, and taking on the challenges of an entirely new way of life. Before the move, he admits, "I was worried about the Number." Once in Wisconsin, Eisenberg confesses that the "Number was leading us around by our noses."
From Wall Street to Main Street USA, The Number means different things to different people. It is constantly fluctuating in people's minds and bank accounts. To some, the Number symbolizes freedom, validation of career success, the ticket to luxurious indulgences and spiritual exploration; to others, it represents the bewildering and nonsensical nightmare of an impoverished existence creeping up on them in their old age, a seemingly hopeless inevitability that they would rather simply ignore than confront. People are highly private and closed-mouthed when it comes to discussing their Numbers, or lack thereof, for fear they might either reveal too much or display ineptitude.
In The Number, Eisenberg describes this secret anxiety as the "Last Taboo," a conundrum snared in confusing financial lingo. He sorts through the fancy jargon and translates the Number into commonsense advice that resonates just as easily with the aging gods and goddesses of corporate boardrooms as it does with ordinary people who are beginning to realize that retirement is now just a couple of decades away. Believing that the Number is as much about self-worth as it is net worth, Eisenberg strives to help readers better understand and more efficiently manage all aspects of their life, money, and pursuit of happiness.
* According to Eisenberg,
"Number chasers" fall into four personality types:
--"Procrastinators" enter their forties and fifties ensconced in a cloud of avoidance and denial about the years ahead of them, or simply do not understand investing in their futures.
--"Pluckers" often lazily or arrogantly pull ephemeral, albeit specific, Numbers from thin air with little attention to developing a realistic and coherent plan to achieve their goals.
--"Plotters" crunch every practical aspect of their financial history, hoping to cement their Number in black and white, even at the expense of not having fun and leisure.
--"Probers" visualize their Numbers not as an end but as the means to pursuing dreams and passions, and completing inner and outer journeys to self-fulfillment.
* The current
"Debt Warp" is the "silent Number killer that afflicts young and old" that has been brought on by our "whip-it-out credit-card culture."
* The
"Lost Years" describes a person's 20s, 30s, and 40s wherein sensible financial foundation-building bows to oblivious and careless spending, and the tug-of-war dichotomy between the "old Rest of Your Life" and the "new Rest of Your Life."
* A surprise
"Lifestyle Relapse" attack around retirement age can be induced by debt, aging, long term care, and self-absorption. Living longer and spending more, people will eventually experience dire consequences in response to the debt-drenched, expense account-driven lifestyles to which they have grown accustomed.
* The six tenets of the
"Eisenberg Uncertainty Principles" outline the dubious state of living in a carpe diem-addicted, indebted culture with little financial guidance or responsibility.
*
"Downshifting" is an important skill one needs to know how to do in the expanse between leaving a career and before death in order to maintain financial stability and a happy life.
Eisenberg's book is not an investment guide, but rather something wholly original: a revealing look behind our most common financial and emotional conflicts and how we can begin to get a grip on them. Eisenberg gives each reader a unique and unprecedented tool with which to virtually craft his or her future. This encompassing book is a priceless, step-by-step prelude to initiating, or continuing, discussions with a qualified financial advisor. The bottom line for The Number is that Eisenberg offers each reader a fresh and promising beginning to the rest of his or her life.
Download Description
"Do you know your Number? What happens if you don't make it to your Number? Do you have a plan? The often-avoided, anxiety-riddled discussion about financial planning for a secure and fulfilling future has been given a new starting point in The Number by Lee Eisenberg. The buzz of professionals and financial industry insiders everywhere, the Number represents the amount of money and resources people will need to enjoy the active life they desire, especially post-career. Backed by imaginative reporting and insights, Eisenberg urges people to assume control and responsibility for their standard of living, and take greater aim on their long-term aspirations.
Customer Reviews:
The Number.......2007-10-08
I have read many books about planning for retirement and investing. I enjoyed this book immensely. I see that many reviewers were somewhat disappointed with the book. Since I am from the era of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance this book was right up my alley. We all are out there (or should be out there) chasing the number, but as with Zen there is a much bigger picture you must look at then just the number. My wife and I have had several conversations because of this book. As Mr. Eisenberg says in his book you can get a number with only a few taps of a calculator, but what you want to do with the rest of you life is a much deeper consideration. We feel that we are in a much better place to move forward with the rest of our life. Bravo Mr. Eisenberg!
Waste of money.......2007-08-26
Why can't we give "0 stars"? No insightful content. Self-important name-dropping. I felt cheated out of my $20+ for a book saying, "Retirement is about more than money."
More like 3.5 stars..........2007-08-09
A reader's perspective on this book will probably vary a lot based on their individual experience and knowledge. For some it may be eye-opening, for others it may be more like "tell me something I don't know".
It is a fast read, and full of interesting factoids. The history of how people have looked (or not looked) at their retirement plans (actual drawdown and spend, as opposed to micromanaging their 401ks) was interesting.
Pros:
- easy to read, light humored.
- Interesting stats, and good references to experts in the field
- Nice thumbnail sketches of types of individuals and their exposures to risk
- has some interesting frameworks. For example, think about your retirements spending as being equal to 4% of your intended nest egg. If you need more than 4% in retirement, you may need to save more to get your Number up.
Cons:
- may be too basic for someone who has done analysis for their actual long term planning. It should also come as no surprise that the current generation has their own accountability to save for retirement (not the government or your employeer).
- can be alarmist for people...i.e. Guess what, you could be in trouble. And even worse, you can't necessarily trust people who say they are 'experts'.
- middle section of the book drags a bit compared to intro, I thought.
In summary, if you have thought about retirement, but haven't yet really done some detailed planning, this book can be an enabler for how to think about plans. It won't solve your problems, but it will highlight the considerations you should be making.
I tend to believe that people get scared of the complexities in financial planning, when in fact, several basic principles can be applied to help an individual along a reasonably healthy path. The internet provides a lot of resources to do this, but there probably needs to be a better standard primer out there.
Write a Book, Make Your Number.......2007-08-01
Ugh.
I did something I rarely do, I picked up a book on a whim at an airport. I fell for the cover title, and I was interested to read another person's perspective on reaching the ultimate personal annuity goal - a self-perpetuating nest egg.
My primary objection is that - though this is a book clearly marketed to the masses - Eisenberg's primary focus appears to be on a close circle of friends who are multi-millionares (and yet, still seem unsure whether they've accumulated enough money). Hence in terms of focus, the book is frequently off-base.
A second objection is the writing style. Perhaps this can be expected from a journalist/editor, but I often found myself rolling my eyes at fluffy filler which largely served to distract from the content-at-hand. "... [ten commandments] etched onto an I-can't-believe-it's-not-stone Corian tablet", and "... slightly better than a snowflake's chance in the Sonoran Desert", for example. It's a book - no need to fill the column, Lee.
My third primary objection is the wide employment of statistics without backing references. It can be excused that most of the material was repetitious for me, but figures without references should raise suspicion.
On the positive side, the book was an easy read, entertaining on occasion, and may spur a few people to think harder about their investment situation. But there are far better resources out there.
For practical investing, I very much recommend Burton Malkiel's "Random Walk Down Wall Street", and Benjamin Graham's "The Intelligent Investor".
In summary, with my purchase, Lee is one royalty check closer to making his Number.
Philosophical guide to saving for retirement.......2007-05-30
Great read by somebody not in the financial industry. He is a journalist and editor, so the book is thoroughly researched. He is funny as heck, so, the book will keep you entertained as you read. While is he not a financial specialist, he really knows the business well. He helps you understand the business so that when you deal with the wall street guys and insurance guys, you will be a smarter and more informed client. It's a great wakeup call for anybody in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, who are approaching retirement and need sound guidance on what to do and how to figure out the right path. Most importantly, it's a good test for your own values, so you can figure out for yourself what is important to you and how to spend the rest of your life. So, it deals not only with money, retirement, and investing, but also with how you invest your time - or the amount of time you have left here on earth. Very well done, give it to somebody you care about or somebody who needs financial direction for retirement, saving, life insurance, etc.
Book Description
Most of us picture mathematicians laboring before a chalkboard, scribbling numbers and obscure symbols as they mutter unintelligibly. This lighthearted (but realistic) sneak-peak into the everyday world of mathematicians turns that stereotype on its head.
Most people have little idea what mathematicians do or how they think. It's often difficult to see how their seemingly arcane and esoteric work applies to our own everyday lives. But mathematics also holds a special allure for many people. We are drawn to its inherent beauty and fascinated by its complexity… but often intimidated by its presumed difficulty.
The Secret Life of Numbers opens our eyes to the joys of mathematics, introducing us to the charming, often whimsical side, of the discipline. Divided into several parts, the book looks at interesting and largely unknown historical tidbits, introduces the larger-than-life practitioners of mathematics through the ages, profiles some of the most significant unsolved conjectures, and describes problems and puzzles that have already been solved. Rounding out the table of contents is a host of mathematical miscellany - all of which add up to fifty fun - sometimes cheeky - short-takes on the field.
Chock full of stories, anecdotes, and entertaining vignettes, The Secret Life of Numbers shows us how mathematics really does affect almost every aspect of life from the law to geography, elections to botany - and we come to appreciate the delight and gratification that mathematics holds for all of us.
Customer Reviews:
Provides a fine survey of the processes of mathematical questioning........2006-11-06
How does math research apply to everyday life, and what is the history and process of the math discipline as a whole? The Secret Life of Numbers: 50 Easy Pieces on How Mathematicians Work and Think covers the daily work of the math world, from developing theories and testing logic to unsolved problems and individuals whose applications contributed to solutions. Using case histories as foundations, THE SECRET LIFE OF NUMBERS provides a fine survey of the processes of mathematical questioning.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Short Articles that Cover the Gamut of Mathematics.......2006-09-28
As a mathematician and teacher, I'm always checking out popular books on math. This book, The Secret Life of Numbers, is subtitled "50 easy pieces on how mathematicians work and think." What we find inside is, in fact, fifty short articles (usually around three or so pages each) which cover a variety of topics from history to breakthroughs to personalities to applications.
There are a number of things to like about this book. I particularly appreciated the fact that Mr. Szpiro attempted to keep us up to date on what is going on in math right now. In math classes, there is a tendency to focus on the far past for achievements in mathematics which distances people today from what is going on.
On the other hand, I did think that the pieces were not as "easy" as advertised. Certainly, a background in math helps to understand what Mr. Szpiro is talking about. I think the fact that these articles are so short is part of the problem. Though brief, they sometimes have an expectation of a certain amount of previous knowledge which makes them less useful for people whose mathematical knowledge might be sketchy.
Still, this is a nice book to dip into from time to time. Though not the type of book I would read straight through, there are plenty of articles here to spark an interest in math and illustrate why math is so important, even for us today.
masterpiece of accessible math popularization.......2006-03-20
These are the kind of articles I wish the NY Times Science section would have, but it rarely has any math. Swiss-German people
are lucky to be able to enjoy these journalistic light yet
often profound "easy" pieces, and now they are all available
in beautiful English prose! Perfect present to the math-lover
as well as the math-hater, and of course the math-indifferent.
In other words, to everyone.
Product Description
On-the-go Instrction Because your time is valuable... All Audio All on the go! Beginning level instruction is presented in an all-audio format on 4 digitally-recorded CDs. You have the opportunity to learn on the go, taking advantage of time normally wasted. Study in your car, while exercising, doing yard work anywhere you can safely listen to a CD player. No accompanying books are needed to help you complete the lesson activities. Why can t learning be fun? It can! Linguaphone has chosen to present the allTalk series in an entertaining, soap-opera format. No dry old teacher with a monotone voice putting you to sleep, you follow the adventures of a visitor to a Spanish-speaking country as she interacts with individuals in a variety of interesting situations, learning the language and beginning to understand the culture. Actually learn the language Tired of spending money on language courses that don t work? Did you ever think the problem could be with the course and not you? With Linguaphone s unique learning sequence: Listen, Understand, Speak, you will find yourself actually using the language in no time at all! You are presented with a unit of the language, it is then broken down and explained to you, then you put it back together with greater understanding than just repeating what you may not have understood in the first place. . . . and learn it well! The all Talk methodology not only teaches well, but will have you speaking and understanding basic spoken Spanish in no time at all. Other popular all-audio courses require four times the cds, four times the money and four times the time to do what Linguaphone s allTalk Basic does with 4-one hour CDs.
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Read-Think-Do Math: Counting Book 2 (Read Think Do Math)
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Shapes, Shapes, Shapes
ASIN: 1420681680
Release Date: 2006-01-30 |
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Seoul Stirring: 5 Korean Directors
Tony Rayns , and
England) Institute of Contemporary Arts (London
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Dunga Manzi/Stirring Waters: The Art and Culture of the Tsonga and Shangaan
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A Complete Account From the Reformation to the French Revolution
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Stirrings of Culture
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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Irish University Review: a journal of Irish Studies, published by Irish University Review on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 8422 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Stirring up disloyalty: the Boer War, the Irish Literary Theatre and the emergence of a new separatism.
Author: P.J. Mathews
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Irish University Review: a journal of Irish Studies (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2003
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Volume: 33
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Distributed by Thomson Gale
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