The primary message in Changing Course is the compelling need for people to rethink retirement. Based on twenty years research, the book presents unique stories of how pioneers over fifty are showing the way to positive aging. The book is a full frontal assault on retirement-as-leisure, an obsolete, life-threatening concept that should have been retired twenty years ago. Changing Course underscores risks inherent in stereotypical views of aging and offers both grounded theory and practical lessons for fresh perspectives on aging. It contrasts conventional approaches to aging with creative ideas for aging successfully. Changing Course gives pointed advice on five major risks facing people approaching retirement, and suggests specific steps for managing those risks. It also includes seventeen sensible lessons from third age pioneers as a summary of how to change course. The book therefore serves as a navigational chart of sorts to help middle aged individuals explore the myriad possibilities for growth and success in their fifties, sixties, and beyond. Changing Course also presents the innovative concept of Third Age Careers as part of a mix of activities, called a Third Age Portfolio, needed to age successfully. Further, it discusses how organizations will need to employ people over fifty to avoid a capability gap as Boomers retire in droves in the next decade. If you want life after fifty to be an exhilarating new start, rather than a depressing dull finish, this book is for you.