Middle age is typically the period of maximum earnings potential for most working individuals. Because of this, on the job performance is of particular importance, which makes the regular reading of business books a very good practice. »more»

Life is too short to spend in an unsatisfying job. However by middle age, career transitions are risky and expensive. The last thing you want to do is to go through a gut wrenching experience moving into a new career only to find that it wasn't what you expected. But how do you know what a new career will be like before you actually do it? »more»

For a good part of my working life I've wondered whether there was something wrong with me. Most of my friends had a very clear career path and stayed at established companies for a long time and only leaving to go to a related job at a different established company. »more»

Marc Freedman's “Encore: Finding Work That Matters In the Second Half of Life” is a detailed analysis about the meaningful work that members of the baby boomer generation are increasingly seeking after leaving their primary careers. Encore careers are a significant social trend that represent a new phase of an individual’s work life. Historically, the author notes, the proverbial goal of aging was to secure freedom from work. Now the goal is to secure meaningful work—that is work that has a sense of purpose. »more»

Penelope Trunk has just released the Brazen Careerist, her handbook for achieving career goals. Penelope has a lot of non-traditional career advice (such as "job hopping in your twenties is a great idea."). This is definitely not your parents' job handbook--probably because it is no longer your parents' world. »more»

Dr. Mary Furlong is an academic, entrepreneur marketer, and author. Most importantly she is an expert on the baby boomer demographic and "Turning Silver Into Gold" is her comprehensive and authoritative tome on how to reach and be received by baby boomers. »more»

Looking to learn more about a midlife career change? We've pulled together book recommendations from outplacement firms, career development professionals, and twenty-plus years of our own reading. The links for each title take you to the book's Amazon.com page. »more»

What Friedman means by "flat" is "connected". This book is about globalization and is a must-read for anyone considering changing careers. Why? Because changing careers is typically a multi-year process and the a worst-case scenario would be to find out too late in the process that the industry you are going into is about to be significantly and severely adversely affected. For example, right now is a very bad time for the record industry as it has been shrinking for several years and will probably continue to do so for the next several years. What are the next industries to be avoided and conversely what are the next big growth industries? "The World is Flat" is a good place to start your investigation. »more»

Susan Bryant is a contributing writer for Monster.com and the author of "Don't Stop the Career Clock". She has compiled the big three myths of midlife career changes. »more»

When Susan Crandell walked away from her dream job as editor-in-chief of More magazine to become a freelance writer, she wondered if she would really find the better life she sought. Combining her newfound freedom and knowing that she wasn't the only middle aged person thinking about changing their life, she set off to investigate what she calls "life entrepreneurs" -- people who act on their vision of a "richer, fuller" future for themselves.

The result is "Thinking About Tomorrow," a look at forty-five people who reinvented themselves at midlife -- and the lessons they learned along the way. These weren't just career changes: these transformations encompass spirituality, education, and taking in the world. In turn, Crandell learned a lot about what goes into a successful midlife makeover.

She generously shared her insights with us in this email interview.. »more»