Something to Live For: Finding Your Way in the Second Half of Life

Using a compilation of stories, two authors reflect on how to find meaning and purpose in the second half of your life.

Drawing on ancient and contemporary wisdom, as well as modern research, Richard Leider and David Shapiro provide insightful ways of thinking and being that help us find meaning and purpose in the second half of life. This deeply reflective book uses a safari, (referencing a trip the authors took to Africa in 2006) as a metaphor to show how the second half of life can be a journey of discovery. In what may be their most personal book to date, Leider and Shapiro share dozens of moving stories, from both their own experiences and those of their safari companions, that offer sometimes surprising examples of lives well-lived, lives that exemplify the qualities of authenticity and wholeheartedness that they believe are essential to finding meaning and purpose in the second half of life. There are many pathways to putting our whole selves into life, especially during the second half, and in Something to Live For, Leider and Shapiro explore many routes to vital aging.

“If you want to be inspired, just read this book full of personal, practical, and surprising stories about what matters, what works—and what’s next.” —Walter F. Mondale, former Vice President, Senator and Ambassador

“I cannot think of a more important subject, or a more important book, than this one. In a world where so many feel set adrift on choppy seas, we need Something to Live For more than ever.” —Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?

“Until now, we’ve lacked authoritative maps for the second half of life. This book provides such a map, and it’s a wonderful guide for everyone to read.” —Harry R. Moody, Director of Academic Affairs, AARP

Ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the Top 5 Most Respected Executive Coaches, Richard is a pioneer in the field of coaching. Founder and Chairman of The Inventure Group, a coaching firm in Minneapolis, MN, Richard has a worldwide coaching practice with many leading executives and organizations. As a seminar leader, he has taught over 100,000 executives from 50 corporations. Richard is a popular speaker and a best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including The Power of Purpose and Repacking Your Bags, both considered classics in the life/work planning field. A Nationally Certified Master Career Counselor, Richard holds a Master’s degree in Counseling and is a Senior Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing. Along with his professional pursuits, he has been leading In- venture Expedition walking safaris for 25 years in Tanzania, East Africa. Believing that each of us is born with a purpose, Richard’s purpose is to help people “discover the power of purpose.”
David Shapiro is a philosopher, educator, and writer whose personal and professional interests revolve around questions of meaning and morality in life and work. He is a tenured faculty member in philosophy at Cascadia Community College outside Seattle, WA, and the co-author of three other books with Richard Leider, most recently, Claiming Your Place at the Fire: Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose (Berrett-Koehler, 2004.) Additionally, David is Education Director of the Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children, a nonprofit that brings philosophy and philosophers into schools and community organizations around the Pacific Northwest. He defines his purpose as “creating community through dialogue and reflection.”