By Bernice Bratter and Helen Dennis

For the first time in history, a generation of career women - women who have worked outside the home for most of their lives - are retiring. Without role models, they look to one another to face the changes this life transition brings.

They want to know what it means to suddenly find themselves back inside their homes after having devoted their lives to careers outside the home. These women are highly skilled, educated, and successful. They have achieved visibility, status and influence.

Renewment is a term the authors created as an alternative to the word retirement, which they associated with negative stereotypes and cliches. Renewment suggests optimism and opportunity, growth and self-discovery. Thus Project Renewment is a grassroots movement among women who are close to retirement or recently retired and looking to connect with one another.

Project Renewment provides these women with an enriched and safe environment in which to explore and confront the challenges that lie ahead as they leave behind a lifetime at the office, hospital, studio, or courtroom.

Diverse topics are discussed, such as:

• Who am I without my business card?
  
• What if he retires first?
  
• What is productivity anyway?
  
• Why do I feel guilty reading a book on a Tuesday afternoon?
  
• How do I feel about not earning another dollar?

Divided into two sections, this book offers insight and support in a friendly, humorous and meaningful way:

• The first part of the book addresses the challenges that career women tackle when looking to retire.
  
• The second teaches readers how to start and maintain their own Project Renewment group, so they can find support, inspiring relationships and even a few laughs as they seek to get the most out of the rest of their lives.

249 pages. Hardcover. March 2008.

0408