The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life,Used

Do you know your Number?What happens if you dont make it to your Number?Do you have a plan?The oftenavoided, anxietyriddled 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 postcareer. 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 longterm aspirations.In 1999, Eisenberg was in the midst of downshifting from having served as the EditorinChief of Esquire and other high profile positions. He was "halfin, halfout of the workplace" with an enviable consulting position at Time, Inc., and a family comfortably settled in the suburbs. Thats when he received an unexpected offer from the Wisconsinbased Lands End which, in the end, he couldnt 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 peoples 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 closedmouthed 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 selfworth 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 selffulfillment.* The current "Debt Warp" is the "silent Number killer that afflicts young and old" that has been brought on by our "whipitout creditcard culture."* The "Lost Years" describes a persons 20s, 30s, and 40s wherein sensible financial foundationbuilding bows to oblivious and careless spending, and the tugofwar 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 selfabsorption. Living longer and spending more, people