Pollan, Stephen M., and Levine, Mark, Second Acts – Creating the life you really want, building the career you truly desire, 2003.

“Second Acts” is a guide to reinventing your life, regardless of your age or career phase. Start, says Stephen Pollan, by putting your dream into words, and distilling it into a Mission Statement.

Pollan suggests nine “building blocks” for creating your Second Act, once you have clearly articulated where you want to go. He describes strategies that might prove helpful whether or not you significantly change paths, like reaching out for help, casting lots of irons in the fire, and reaching for opportunities as they appear.

Some obstacles – like age – are largely a matter of perception, Pollan says. Others – like money – can be addressed through making conscious choices.

The book is a good and easy read, with excellent and succinct advice about obstacles that might appear on your path to a new life. Interspersed are brief accounts of “Famous Second Acts,” featuring figures appearing in history, politics or the movies.