Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement by Rodney Rothman

At age 28, Rodney lost his job, so he decides to retire early to Florida. He moves into a retirement community and attends organized activities like shuffleboard and bingo. He sits around with ladies who gossip at the poolside. He takes some piano lessons. He makes some friends.

At the end of the book, he writes: "...when I speak about the book, people want to know how living with older people 'changed' me. Everyone is obsessed with redemption stories I suppose. I often make something up, but the truth is I wasn't so changed by the experience." His not really changing is apparent in the book. The book is filled with some funny stories about the people he meets, but other than that, the experience doesn't really seem to affect him at all. He doesn't include any reflections on how he wants to spend his life, or what he learns about growing older.

This is an okay book, but doesn't have the punch that I thought it might have.