Steve Lopez is 67 years old. He's the lead metropolitan columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He's been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize so often that they should create an award solely for him. Steve loves his job and the jolt of energy he gets from writing a column that serves as a catalyst for conversation. But he wonders what it might be like to live without ever-present deadlines hanging over his head. If his knees hold out, he'd like to play more tennis, to travel, to hike. With his daughter going to college in the fall, he and his wife will have an empty house and the time to reshape their newfound freedom.
Lopez realizes that the end of his work life is getting close. It's hard to accept. And is he ready?
In Independence Day, Lopez uses his reporter skills not only to look inward but also to interview those who have chosen to extend their working life to its (il)logical extreme--people like Mel Brooks, still working at 94, or government worker Mary Lee, who is 100 and still goes to the office every day, as she has for 70 years.
However, there are scientific reasons to retire, as outlined by the psychiatrist, two aging scientists, and geriatric specialist (all over the age of 75 themselves) he taps for their insight.
And of course, he talks to people who are happily retired--who have reinvented themselves outside of the constraints of work--and those who would like to retire but can't because of the financial realities of our declining economy and shrinking Social Security safety net.
With his trademark poignancy, wisdom, and humor, Lopez establishes a useful polemic for himself and others in planning ahead, as he also examines questions of identity, financial limitations, and what to do with your wild and precious life when the obituary pages are no longer filled with strangers.
Industry Reviews
'I recommend this book to anybody. Not just a bunch of 67-year-olds.' * Duff McDonald, The Tickle Yourself Podcast: Retirement and the Present Moment *
'Steve Lopez has written a wise, witty and wonderful book on the question of retirement -- something I'll never do unless I'm forced to by the comedy authorities. However, unlike me, if you're considering it, READ THIS BOOK!' * Mel Brooks, actor, comedian, and filmmaker *
'Hugely entertaining and informative, personal and universal, fun and funny, wise and beautifully written, 'Independence Day' is essential reading for anyone contemplating -- or not contemplating -- retirement. It's about why we work and how we live and all that does and does not change as we age.' * Dr. Louise Aronson, geriatrician, author of NYT-bestselling book "Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life," a Pulitzer Prize finalist *
'In Independence Day, Steve Lopez offers us a master class in decision making. To a brilliant storyteller like Steve, a dry list of pros and cons simply won't suffice. Instead his personal quest becomes a journey of wisdom and soul-searching for us all. This is not only a book for anyone contemplating retirement, it is a book for all of us seeking the courage to make a change with insight and grace.' * Rabbi Naomi Levy, author of Einstein and the Rabbi, founder of Nashuva *
'Steve Lopez is a national treasure. He tackles the question of retirement with the humility, wit and lacerating insight that long ago made him America's best newspaper columnist. This is a smorgasbord of characters, incidents, and ideas, charming, funny, and often quite moving. It will make you think. It is an essential guide for all of us in life's gun lap, deciding whether to speed up, slow down, or wander happily off the track to trace patterns in the clouds.' * Mark Bowden, contributing writer for The Atlantic, author of Black Hawk Down and Killing Pablo *
'Steve Lopez is insightful, ingenious, and often hilarious as he navigates one of life's biggest questions. Independence Day should be read by every boomer on the same path and wondering what comes next.' * Michael Connelly, New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Hours *
'This is a work full of meaning for everyone measuring the days until they put down the tools of whatever trade they ply and walk off into the last quarter of life. It's proof that Steve Lopez should keep working because he's really good at what he does.' * Mike Barnicle, Morning Joe Contributor and former Boston Globe columnist *
