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Retire in Style
50 Affordable Places Across America
by Warren R. Bland, Ph.D.
ISBN 0-9700908-0-3, $22.95
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Seventy six million American "Baby Boomers" born between 1946 and 1964 are moving toward retirement in an era of increasing affluence and mobility, and the number of relocating retirees is expected to rise substantially above the current annual rate of 1,000,000. Award winning geographer and professor at California State University, Warren Bland, Ph.D. has done your homework for you in this beautifully illustrated book, Retire in Style, 50 Affordable Places Across America, scheduled for release in the fall.
Drawing on the professional research he has done during the last 20 years, Bland has identified the 12 criteria most important to retirees. According to AARP, today's retirees are living longer and more actively, and are demanding a different mix of opportunities than did earlier generations. For many, upscale retirement no longer implies country club or beach resort living, but rather an active lifestyle in a safe, friendly, community that is rich in amenities. What criteria are retirees looking for?
Retire in Style will provide readers with the information they need to make intelligent choices among 50 outstanding upscale communities widely distributed across 10 regions and 23 states. Careful consideration was given to the final 12 criteria covered for each place (landscape, climate, quality of life, cost of living, transportation, retail services, health care, community services, cultural activities, recreational activities, work/volunteer activities, and crime). Each place discussion includes 5-6 pages of text, plus a beautifully crafted illustration page featuring a climatic table, a 12-variable rating table, and a map of the city and its surroundings.
About the Author
Dr. Warren Bland has spent the last thirty-two years teaching college-level geography. Educated in Canada and the United States, Dr. Bland earned a BA at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and MA and Ph.D. degrees at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is currently a Full Professor in the Department of Geography at California State University, Northridge. His department is rated as one of the best academic geography departments in the United States.
For twenty years he has specialized in the regional geography of the United States and Canada, and has traveled extensively and done geographical research all over North America, meanwhile developing a strong interest in and knowledge of the towns and cities most suitable for retirement.
Endorsements
"Retire in Style" provides economic and lifestyle information on the author's choices of good retirement spots. He gives numerical rankings to his selections, with the highest score being 60. The scores are based on a number of categories, including quality of life, cost of living, health care, transportation and cultural activities.
New York Times, Sunday March 17th, 2002
"An accurate and entertaining guide to retirement towns that captures the unique character and appeal of each place. This book's for me."
Karl Malden, Actor
If you're a few years away from retirement, "Retire in Style" is a good place to begin your search for the ideal, affordable retirement haven.
Robert J. Bruss, Los Angeles Times
Devoting the last three years to seeking out ideal retirement towns---rating everything from air quality and crime to shopping and cultural happenings---the Cal State University Northridge geography professor wrote a book on where to live the good life in one's sunset years.
Caroline Dipping, San Diego Tribune
"This book is a well organized guide for teachers and other professionals who are nearing retirement and may be trying to decide whether or not to remain where they are or to relocate to some other community in the United States. The organization, graphics and tables in the book make it very easy to use."
Troy Brazell, National Representative, American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO)
It's likely that Bland's book will entice more retirees to take a closer look at Colorado Springs: The book has been Amazon.com's top seller on retirement for 45 days since its publication.
Jeanne Davant, The Gazette (Colorado Springs)
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