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Reviews & Praise
for Breaking the Watch
"Retiring
means more than just quitting work. It is one of life's major transitions
that can carry heavy-duty emotional and psychological issues, involving
nothing less than a redefinition of the self. Breaking the Watch: The
Meanings of Retirement in America grapple[s] with the meaning and ramifications
of this transition. . . . Mr. Savishinsky. . . does an admirable job
of interviewing his 26 retirees on a wide range of topics [and] it's
the voices of the retirees that power the book."--Fred Brock, The
New York Times. August 6, 2000.
"This book. . . include[s] valuable information for younger (and
older) readers, too. . . . The retirees studied here are thoughtful,
often eloquent observers of their new position in life; their "voices"
are vivid and enlightening. . . ."--Mary Carroll, Booklist. October,
2000.
"This book [is an] excellent, well-researched volume. . . . the
well-reasoned discussions and thoughtful portraits offered make this
a worthwhile purchase for both academic and public libraries."--Library
Journal, October 1, 2000.
"Savishinsky [brings] his considerable research skills and experience
with other projects on aging to bear on this essentially anecdotal study.
. . . "--Publisher's Weekly, September 25, 2000.
"Savishinsky treats his readers to very compelling narratives of
loss, insight, triumph, and disappointment, told in lovingly crafted
prose, weaving the lives of his interviewees together as their own paths
cross. His book is an ethnography of retirement but also a guide to
doing it well."--Steven M. Albert, Columbia University. Current
Anthropology, Vol. 43, No. 2, April 2002
"The book is organized in a unique way. Each chapter (1-6) is prefaced
by a conversation with a retiree and is followed by a set of life stories
dealing with the same dilemma. This is where Savishinsky's strategy
of letting the participants speak for themselves works superbly with
the vivid and eloquent voices...Overall the book will be a good reader
for anyone - lay or expert - who is interested in aging and retirement."--Shin-Kap
Han, University of Illinois. American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 107,
No. 2, September 2001
"Most books about retirement tell people how to plan their finances
for this stage of life. But few talk in depth about what retirement
means as a personal and cultural experience--how it can transform people's
lives in an emotional, a social, and even a moral way. This book closes
that gap in our knowledge...The approach is a very humanistic and anthropological
one, drawing on the poignant and sometimes poetic words of the retirees."--Association
for Anthropology & Gerontology. November, 2000
"This is the closest I've ever come to a page-turner in a scholarly
text. Will the retirees succeed in having a good retirement or buttress
themselves around their bitterness?...His interviews...have been woven
into a lively exposition of their problems and adventures in self-discovery...[A]n
intoxicating brew of a book."--Sharon R. Kahn, Coney Island Hospital.
Readings, Vol. 16, No. 2, June 2001
"Periodically, in gerontology, a volume is published that is both
timely and seminal in that it enables us to challenge tired images and
stereotypes or to reorient and deepen our thinking...This volume wil
help us reappraise stereotypes of withdrawal and redundancy as pervasive
motifs of retirement...At the end of the book, this 55-year-old pre-retirement
workaholic reviewer is left with a sense of anticipation and optimism
in place of dread and foreboding about what will follow his own receipt
of the gold watch. I can think of no greater testimonial to the transformational
potential of a work of scholarship."--Graham D. Rowles, Ph.D.,
University of Kentucy. Generations, Vol. XXV, No. 3, Fall 2001
"Anyone who contemplates taking the huge, life-changing step away
from the workplace should read Breaking the Watch: The Meaning of Retirement
in America"--(Millbrook Round Table, December 2000)
"...Savishinsky provides us with a view of the metamorphosis of
everyday life that can accompany a key transition in the life course,
such as retirement."--Melissa A. Hardy, Florida State University.
Contemporary Sociology, Vol. 31, No. 3
"Savishinsky weaves [his subjects'] experiences into a discussion
of broader themes, such as end-of-work rituals, preparing for later
life and the search for passion and purpose."--Orlando, FL Sentinel,
December 2001
"Savishinsky writes in an accessible and interesting style, and
he crafts his book effectively by letting his subjects tell their own
stories in their own words as much as possible. He also effectively
connects his findings to the relevant gerontological literature...Rarely
does an anthropological monograph contain as much practical value as
this one."--Choice, May 2001, Vol. 38, No. 9
"This
book shines with the earned dignity of those whose lives (and fate)
it attentively and respectfully documents. Here, for all of us to understand,
are the later years some Americans have taken on--and here we learn
of elderly resourcefulness, reflection, imagination, determination:
life as it approaches the end becomes a spell of challenge--of humanity
affirmed, achieved." -- Robert Coles, Harvard University
"A
splendid book for anyone planning or taking retirement.
Breaking the Watch
resonates with the lively voices, illuminating stories, and wisdom of
men and women who've made the challenging transition from employment
to retirement. Kudos to Joel Savishinsky for this unique guide to the
art of living in retirement." -- Carl
Klaus, author of Taking Retirement: A Beginner's Diary
"In
his wonderful book,
Breaking the Watch,
Joel Savishinsky follows a group of women and men as they make the transition
from work to retirement. Inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking,
this book is an example of qualitative research at its best." --
Jill
Quadagno, Florida State University
"Heads
and shoulders above the many first-person how-to books about 'succeeding'
at retirement, Breaking
the Watch
gives us a three-dimensional, rounded view of the retirement experience.
I can't think of another book on retired life that comes close to this
one." --
David J. Ekerdt, University of Kansas
"The portraits in
Breaking the Watch
are nuanced, intimate, and recognizable. They reflect not only the nature
of retirement, but also the far larger issues of relationship and the
quest for purpose in life. Joel Savishinky's book is lucidly written
and compelling, a unique and invaluable work." -- Thomas
Gregor, Vanderbilt University
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