Part III: The Legacies We Leave
Marci Albahor, The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life (New York: Workman Publishing, 2013). Comprehensive advice and resources for finding/creating paid “encore” work or careers that serve society.
Mark Albion, More than Money: Questions Every MBA Needs to Answer (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009). See also his True to Yourself: Leading a Values-Based Business (Berrett-Koehler, 2006). Inspirational message aligned with “legacies of the heart” thesis, perhaps biased because of author’s privileged position as Harvard MBA and former faculty.
Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lessons (New York: Doubleday, 1997).
Bruce Frankel, What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life: True Stories of Finding Success, Passion and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life (New York: Penguin, 2010). Beautifully written and nuanced stories of late-life legacies, usually public.
Marc Freedman, Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life (New York: Public Affairs/Perseus, 2007). One of several books by this positive-aging visionary and the catalyst for The Encore Career Handbook. See website below.
Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow, The Last Lecture (Hyperion, 2008).
Barbara Shaiman, Live Your Legacy Now! (cited above), for her Champions of Caring program (public legacies).
Mark Albion, More than Money: Questions Every MBA Needs to Answer (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009). See also his True to Yourself: Leading a Values-Based Business (Berrett-Koehler, 2006). Inspirational message aligned with “legacies of the heart” thesis, perhaps biased because of author’s privileged position as Harvard MBA and former faculty.
Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lessons (New York: Doubleday, 1997).
Bruce Frankel, What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life: True Stories of Finding Success, Passion and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life (New York: Penguin, 2010). Beautifully written and nuanced stories of late-life legacies, usually public.
Marc Freedman, Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life (New York: Public Affairs/Perseus, 2007). One of several books by this positive-aging visionary and the catalyst for The Encore Career Handbook. See website below.
Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow, The Last Lecture (Hyperion, 2008).
Barbara Shaiman, Live Your Legacy Now! (cited above), for her Champions of Caring program (public legacies).
Organizations and websites
Conscious Elders Network. www.consciouselders.org. An educational, non-profit organization fostering a budding movement of vital elders, dedicated to growing in consciousness while actively addressing the demanding challenges facing our country and world. They work inter-generationally for social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and sound governance.
Encore.org. www.encore.org. Formerly Civic Ventures, a think tank and catalyst for how to enlist the talent pool of Boomers to address social and economic problems in the U.S. and now globally. Originator of the Purpose Prize.
The Life Planning Network. www.lifeplanningnetwork.org. A professional organization whose members from diverse fields help people craft their second half of life for both personal fulfillment and social contribution.
The Pass It On Network. www.passitonnetwork.org. International, multi-lingual exchange to harvest, exchange and replicate grassroots programs for positive aging, including community building, pathways to meaningful work, and expanded learning opportunities. Examples of legacies and ideas for creating your own versions in the Programs and Resources sections.
The Philanthropy Connection. www.thephilanthropyconnection.org. Aims to inspire, teach, and enable women to engage in collective philanthropy, in order to provide high-impact grants to charitable organizations in Massachusetts.
Major mutual funds (such as Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab) offer planned charitable giving vehicles (e.g., donor advised funds).
Encore.org. www.encore.org. Formerly Civic Ventures, a think tank and catalyst for how to enlist the talent pool of Boomers to address social and economic problems in the U.S. and now globally. Originator of the Purpose Prize.
The Life Planning Network. www.lifeplanningnetwork.org. A professional organization whose members from diverse fields help people craft their second half of life for both personal fulfillment and social contribution.
The Pass It On Network. www.passitonnetwork.org. International, multi-lingual exchange to harvest, exchange and replicate grassroots programs for positive aging, including community building, pathways to meaningful work, and expanded learning opportunities. Examples of legacies and ideas for creating your own versions in the Programs and Resources sections.
The Philanthropy Connection. www.thephilanthropyconnection.org. Aims to inspire, teach, and enable women to engage in collective philanthropy, in order to provide high-impact grants to charitable organizations in Massachusetts.
Major mutual funds (such as Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab) offer planned charitable giving vehicles (e.g., donor advised funds).
Personal Tangible Legacies, Including Stories
Maya Angelou, Letter To My Daughter (New York: Random House, 2008). A poetic example of a personal tangible legacy project that became public.
Barry K. Baines, MD, Ethical Wills: Putting your Values on Paper (New York: Perseus Books, 2nd edition, 2006). See his website, www.ethicalwill.com, for advice, workshops, trainings, newsletter.
Christina Baldwin, Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2005).
Sue Barrows, Elderwriters: Celebrate Your Life! A Guide for Creating Your own Personal Legacy Document (Self-published, 2013). A step-by-step guide for creating a scrapbook of writings—a mosaic of family history, fond memories, and personal wisdom.
James E. Birren and Kathryn N. Cochran, Telling the Stories of Life through Guided Autobiography Groups (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001). Classic work by the pioneer advocate/practitioner of life review.
Duane Elgin, and Coleen LeDrew, Living Legacies: How to Write, Illustrate, and Share Your Life Stories (Berkeley, CA: Conari Press, 2001).
Rachael Freed, Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies: Passing Your Beliefs & Blessings to Future Generations (Minneapolis: Fairview Press, 2003); Your Legacy Matters: Harvesting the Love and Lessons of Your Life. A multi-generational guide for writing your ethical will. (Minneapolis: Minerva Press, 2013). Rich material and examples for everyone.
Dave Isay, ed., Listening Is an Act of Love (New York: Penguin Press, 2007). StoryCorps, www.storycorps.org, provides Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of their lives.
Meredith Joy, My Last Wishes: A Journal of Life, Love, Laughs & a Few Final Notes (NewYork: HarperCollins, 2007). Journal format encourages recording your wishes now.
Dennis Ledoux, Turning Memories into Memoirs: a Handbook for Writing Life Stories (Soleil Press, 2005). thememoirnetwork.com.
Wendy Lustbader, What’s Worth Knowing (New York: Penguin Press, 2002), and Life Gets Better: The Unexpected Pleasures of Growing Older (Tarcher/Penguin, 2011).
Karl Pillemer, 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans, reprint edition (Plume/Penguin Group, 2011) and 30 Lessons for Loving: Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships and Marriage, reprint edition (Hudson Street Press/Penguin Group, 2015). Both books come from Professor Pillemer’s 2004 national survey of 1000 people over 70. www.legacyproject.human.cornell.edu.
Jack Riemer and Nathaniel Stampfer, Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them: A Guide to Sharing Your Values from Generation to Generation. (Woodstock, VT: LongHill Partners, Inc., 2015). Earlier editions: So That Your Values Live On. Examples and how-to instructions from Jewish tradition but for any religion.
Susan Turnbull, The Wealth of Your Life: A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Your Ethical Will. See Turnbull’s website for workshops, classes, resources, and examples: www.personallegacyadvisors.com.
Paula Yost and Pat McNees (eds.), My Words Are Gonna Linger: The Art of Personal History (Kennebunk, ME: Personal History Press, 2009). An anthology of personal histories submitted by members of the Association of Personal Historians, showing the why, how, and many possibilities for leaving personal histories.
Barry K. Baines, MD, Ethical Wills: Putting your Values on Paper (New York: Perseus Books, 2nd edition, 2006). See his website, www.ethicalwill.com, for advice, workshops, trainings, newsletter.
Christina Baldwin, Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2005).
Sue Barrows, Elderwriters: Celebrate Your Life! A Guide for Creating Your own Personal Legacy Document (Self-published, 2013). A step-by-step guide for creating a scrapbook of writings—a mosaic of family history, fond memories, and personal wisdom.
James E. Birren and Kathryn N. Cochran, Telling the Stories of Life through Guided Autobiography Groups (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001). Classic work by the pioneer advocate/practitioner of life review.
Duane Elgin, and Coleen LeDrew, Living Legacies: How to Write, Illustrate, and Share Your Life Stories (Berkeley, CA: Conari Press, 2001).
Rachael Freed, Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies: Passing Your Beliefs & Blessings to Future Generations (Minneapolis: Fairview Press, 2003); Your Legacy Matters: Harvesting the Love and Lessons of Your Life. A multi-generational guide for writing your ethical will. (Minneapolis: Minerva Press, 2013). Rich material and examples for everyone.
Dave Isay, ed., Listening Is an Act of Love (New York: Penguin Press, 2007). StoryCorps, www.storycorps.org, provides Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of their lives.
Meredith Joy, My Last Wishes: A Journal of Life, Love, Laughs & a Few Final Notes (NewYork: HarperCollins, 2007). Journal format encourages recording your wishes now.
Dennis Ledoux, Turning Memories into Memoirs: a Handbook for Writing Life Stories (Soleil Press, 2005). thememoirnetwork.com.
Wendy Lustbader, What’s Worth Knowing (New York: Penguin Press, 2002), and Life Gets Better: The Unexpected Pleasures of Growing Older (Tarcher/Penguin, 2011).
Karl Pillemer, 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans, reprint edition (Plume/Penguin Group, 2011) and 30 Lessons for Loving: Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships and Marriage, reprint edition (Hudson Street Press/Penguin Group, 2015). Both books come from Professor Pillemer’s 2004 national survey of 1000 people over 70. www.legacyproject.human.cornell.edu.
Jack Riemer and Nathaniel Stampfer, Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them: A Guide to Sharing Your Values from Generation to Generation. (Woodstock, VT: LongHill Partners, Inc., 2015). Earlier editions: So That Your Values Live On. Examples and how-to instructions from Jewish tradition but for any religion.
Susan Turnbull, The Wealth of Your Life: A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Your Ethical Will. See Turnbull’s website for workshops, classes, resources, and examples: www.personallegacyadvisors.com.
Paula Yost and Pat McNees (eds.), My Words Are Gonna Linger: The Art of Personal History (Kennebunk, ME: Personal History Press, 2009). An anthology of personal histories submitted by members of the Association of Personal Historians, showing the why, how, and many possibilities for leaving personal histories.
Additional websites
The Legacy Center, www.thelegacycenter.net. Offers service to guide individuals to identify and communicate core values and experiences that have given their lives meaning.
Life Chronicles, www.lifechronicles.org. Helps people create video legacies.
Story Circle, www.storycircle.org. Membership organization for women who want to document their lives and explore their personal stories through journaling, memoir, autobiography, personal essays, poetry, drama, and mixed media.
Story Trust, www.storytrust.com. David O’Neil helps families, organizations, businesses tell their stories to leave a lasting legacy.
Life Chronicles, www.lifechronicles.org. Helps people create video legacies.
Story Circle, www.storycircle.org. Membership organization for women who want to document their lives and explore their personal stories through journaling, memoir, autobiography, personal essays, poetry, drama, and mixed media.
Story Trust, www.storytrust.com. David O’Neil helps families, organizations, businesses tell their stories to leave a lasting legacy.