Praise for An Uncommon Guide to Retirement

Most of life is pretty autobiographical, and it cannot not be—which makes for a good question: Why this book? Its thoughtful and gifted author, Jeff Haanen, seems years away from the time when most wonder about the "third third" of life. But in reading An Uncommon Guide to Retirement, what is impressive is that he pays attention very well, listening to people and watching the world, wanting to make sense of all of life for all of us. As he does that, he is never far from his own life as a son, a grandson, and a great-grandson, the legacy of long-loved loves a lens for the serious study that brings his book into being. With the growing population of men and woman coming into their retirement, I hope that Hannen's good work will be "an uncommon guide" for many, its rich reading of the idea of calling threading its way through the years of life for everyone everywhere.

Haanen does an excellent job describing and then countering the prevailing cultural narratives on retirement. This is a must-read resource for older believers and for the congregational leaders serving them.

Finding the place where God's fire burns in your heart to serve your neighbor and bring joy to your own life—here is the task for those of us entering retirement. I'm convinced Jeff's book, An Uncommon Guide to Retirement, is a great resource for those who want to challenge cultural assumptions about retirement and find new ways to serve God for a lifetime.

I've wanted to be older all my life. It was always in the back of my mind that something was waiting for me there. Jeff Haanen's book might make some uncomfortable but it has only confirmed what I thought to be true: something good is waiting for all of us.

This is the most comprehensive treatment of retirement from a Christian perspective that I've seen yet. Haanen's counsel is wisdom for adults of every generation today: not only for current retirees and boomers, but also for Gen Xers and millennials, whose choices now will dramatically impact their flourishing in life's latter years.

I've had the privilege of working with individuals, families, and couples over the last 40+ years. One of the most difficult areas to deal with is retirement. Our culture teaches us that we can retire to a life of leisure. My counsel has always been, "You're not finished with God's work until He takes you home; therefore let's talk about 'rehirement' instead of retirement." Jeff has made a very meaningful contribution to this topic, one that is desperately needed to be understood by the body of Christ.