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The Number (Abridged): A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life Audiobook
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(2.13) - 259 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It's the last question you think about before going to sleep, and the first on your mind in the morning. It's a taboo that you can't easily discuss with friends and can barely face with family. It's The Number: the amount of money you need to secure the rest of your life. Do you know what your Number is? Do you know how to think about it? Do you know what you really want to do with it?
A provocative field guide to our psyches and our finances, Lee Eisenberg's The Number will help you have the money conversations you have been avoiding. It will make you think about the kind of life you want and the kind of help you need to achieve it. You will also discover:
• Why you wander through your financial "lost years" until it is almost too late• Why downshifting into retirement is so challenging
• How the second half of life is being reinvented as we live longer
An important program for anyone over thirty, The Number is the audiobook to listen to before you consult an investment adviser or a retirement guide -- and above all, before the rest of your life slips by, unexamined.
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"This is a quick read and makes you think about how you want to live during retirement and what you need to ask yourself NOW to make sure your current actions are in line with your "dream" "
— Amy (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Lee Eisenberg has somehow found the sweet spot when it comes to ‘financial planning’ and, indeed, life. I started to read this book to write an endorsement and ended up using it as a personal guide to my future. Yikes!”
— Tom Peters, New York Times bestselling author of Thriving on Chaos -
“An important book, one that illuminates the appalling mistakes that many baby boomers are making as they approach later life.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“A great book that should be required reading for the 76 million baby boomers in the country. Make that anyone over the age of 30.”
— Detroit News -
“Provides an illuminating and charmingly written consideration of an aging generation’s retirement worries and of the investment business designed to profit from them. Heartfelt discussions of goals, health and health care, ‘downshifting’ to enjoy life while spending less money, and the meaning of postretirement life pepper its pages…His perceptive analyses of real and fictional people’s financial hopes and strategies will inspire readers to reconsider their Numbers and their methods for investing.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Thinking about retirement is as pleasant as a colonoscopy. Not in Lee Eisenberg’s hands, however. He has written a funny and wise book about how to think about your future but also, and more important, how to think about life.”
— Ken Auletta, author of Media Man: Ted Turner’s Improbable Empire -
“There are precious few works that deal with the central issues of existence—life, death, and money—with this much elegance and wit. This amusing, essential book succeeds in tapping into the dreams and schemes of an entire generation who learned how to hang out and do very little in the 60s—and would now like to hang out and do very little in its 60s. Back then we were listening to Hendrix. Today we’re tuned into Eisenberg.”
— Stanley Bing, author of Sun Tzu Was a Sissy
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
The Number Listener Reviews
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" When I think of a book on retirement and finance, I think - SNOOZE! This one is actually interesting and humorous at times. A great read to get me thinking about value of money and daving for the future. "
— Melanie, 2/19/2014 -
" One of the best financial book I have ever read. It has good words of wisdom and appropriate book for current economy. "
— Praveen, 2/16/2014 -
" I'm puzzled as to how to rate this book. The argument in it -- that we all need to save up for our retirements, and also think clearly about what we want to be doing in our retirements, because that affects how much we need -- is inarguable. But the author spends the first 9/10ths of the book telling us annoying stories about people who (mostly) fail to follow the advice. Way too much time on the problem. All you really need (if you buy the argument) is p. 251, a simple formula for calculating your number. If you don't buy the argument, then it's dog food on social security for you. "
— Nick, 2/13/2014 -
" Decent book about the strategy of planning for retirement and a look at the career of life planning and financial advising. Well researched author but had a fair amount of unnecessary information. "
— Matthew, 2/7/2014 -
" A book about the question: How much money should I save for retirement? I don't remember taking a lot away from the book, however, I did enjoy reading it. "
— Jason, 2/6/2014 -
" ok, another perspective on the responsibility we all have to save much more than we thought for retirement "
— Jose, 2/6/2014 -
" Everything changed when the recession started. Those poor books that came out just before are extremely naive sounding. This book barely escapes that and does have a lot to teach. Covering many different retirement issues, it's main audience is the baby boomer generation. Reading it from the perspective of a mid 20 something, it just reinforces the need for a retirement plan and account. It is reassuring in the fact that we might not need what we think we will and we can get by on a lot less and a part time job. "
— Mmiller400m, 1/15/2014 -
" New Year's Resolution = get ready for Retirement. This entertaining book has one critical message - you can do it if you are willing (and able) to live within your means (spend less than you draw down each year). "
— Al, 1/13/2014 -
" Good place to start thinking "
— Kalpana, 1/9/2014 -
" Not what I was expecting (a more in-depth financial analysis of how to get to your number and what it means)...more of a philosophical examination of what "the number" means. Meh. "
— Natasha, 1/6/2014 -
" Freebie book part of today's haul...sparked lukewarm interest...curious as how one would determine "the number" and as suggested by a previous review of this book, just hit up page 251 ! "
— patty, 1/5/2014 -
" a quick weekend read on financial realities of retirement. Main thrust is on figuring out what you want to do first before thinking about what that will cost and hence how much you will have to save. Deliberately qualitative versus quantitative until last chapter "
— Peter, 12/25/2013 -
" Fine, if you're in the top 2% of American earners "
— Kaethe, 12/10/2013 -
" This is a book that every thirty year old should read. Social Security won't be around when you need it and you need a plan. "
— Gerry, 11/4/2013 -
" This book is about retirement. It addresses 'the rest of your life' in clear and interesting terms. The focus is not only on MONEY for retirement. The book focuses equally on HOBBIES, NEEDS, and EXPECTATIONS, for retirement. It's an easy read. I liked it. "
— Doreen, 7/24/2013 -
" Great book; especially at 31 years old when you still have time to react to the questions and advice. "
— Tate, 2/25/2013 -
" This is a quick read and makes you think about how you want to live during retirement and what you need to ask yourself NOW to make sure your current actions are in line with your "dream" "
— Amy, 2/11/2013 -
" A fluffy book about awareness of and planning and preparing for your retirement. "
— John, 11/12/2012 -
" A we strive... "
— Jennifer, 6/10/2012 -
" Great book if you like reading about money and future. It created great discussion with my dad who is nearing retirement and myself. "
— Andrea, 5/28/2012 -
" this book was a joke. I think that most people who are able to read will quickly learn that it does not tell you anything that you don't already know. I wish that I had written it. The author's "number" got higher because I bought it. "
— J., 4/19/2012 -
" Just not as helpful or interesting as it could have been -- neither specific enough to be a true self-help book, nor rigorous enough to be a theory or criticism. A quick-read, though. "
— Emily, 2/7/2012 -
" My recommendation: read only the last Chapter. "
— John, 1/18/2012 -
" Do not read this book if you are younger than 45 and paranoid. I freaked out completely after reading this book ... I totally need to save more for my retirement. "
— Dana, 12/25/2011 -
" I know what my number is. Spare a buck to the cause? "
— Donald, 11/21/2011 -
" Great book on retirement planning! Author's writing style is humourous and keeps the often dry subject interesting. "
— Konrad, 10/6/2011 -
" Apparently, I will be poor and homeless when I retire, thanks to all the other generations that effed it all up. It's one of those things that's "good to know" so that you can plan the rest of your life away, but I am tempted to pull my "ignorance is bliss" card. "
— vowelry, 8/23/2011 -
" An interesting read on what the author terms "The Number" - the sum which one can retire on. Deals with how people set or more commonly, fail to set targets for their retirement savings, and the myriad reasons why we often underestimate the amount needed. Contains some good financial advice. "
— Samuel, 8/7/2011 -
" He's a very smooth writer, but gives little practical advice. A good book to read while you stew on retirement & money philosophies. "
— Amanda, 1/29/2011 -
" Freebie book part of today's haul...sparked lukewarm interest...curious as how one <em>would</em> determine "the number" and as suggested by a previous review of this book, just hit up page 251 ! "
— pattie, 1/22/2011 -
" This does not even come up under "the Number." This book was really hyped. I thought it was below average "
— Luigib, 12/29/2010 -
" My recommendation: read only the last Chapter. "
— John, 12/27/2010 -
" ok, another perspective on the responsibility we all have to save much more than we thought for retirement "
— Jose, 7/10/2010 -
" New Year's Resolution = get ready for Retirement. This entertaining book has one critical message - you can do it if you are willing (and able) to live within your means (spend less than you draw down each year). "
— Al, 1/18/2010 -
" It will help you think about your money. "
— Nikki, 10/23/2009 -
" Just not as helpful or interesting as it could have been -- neither specific enough to be a true self-help book, nor rigorous enough to be a theory or criticism. A quick-read, though. "
— Emily, 10/1/2009 -
" At times hilarious how seriously people are obsessed with their Number. <br/>Some good leads for life planning perhaps and some common sense bottom lines that should set the reader/planner at ease. "
— James, 6/1/2009 -
" One of the best financial book I have ever read. It has good words of wisdom and appropriate book for current economy. "
— Praveen, 3/14/2009 -
" I know what my number is. Spare a buck to the cause? "
— Donald, 1/31/2009 -
" Fine, if you're in the top 2% of American earners <br/> "
— Kaethe, 1/22/2009
About Lee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg’s New York Times bestseller The Number: A Completely Different Way to Think about the Rest of Your Life was cited by Businessweek as one of the best books of the year in 2006. Eisenberg is the former editor-in-chief of Esquire, and under his stewardship the magazine won National Magazine Awards across a number of writing and design categories. He currently lives in Chicago.