What's Next?: Women Redefining Their Dreams in the Prime of Life

by Lee Smith, R. Lee Smith, Rena Pederson

Explores the lives of women including Elizabeth Dole, Mary Kay, and Jane Goodall to provide inspiration for women who are seeking to evaluate and redefine their goals and their sense of self. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399526781
• ISBN13: 9780399526787
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Perigee Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

A real upper, and helpful too

I'm exactly the audience Pederson and Smith had in mind for this book: a woman in midlife who's reevaluating her current situation and her options for the future. Each chapter focuses on a single principle that can help in this search, e.g., "trust your intuition" or "get support"; then the authors give real-life examples of how that principle has worked in the lives of actual women, and conclude with questions that allow the reader to gain insight into how it applies to her own life. In general, I felt that the book was helpful to me, and offered good guidance to women (and, for that matter, men!) in just about any life circumstance. The examples were multicultural and spanned a wide range of income and education levels. And, although one chapter focuses on spouses, the authors didn't assume that every reader has one -- many of the women whose stories they told were single, divorced, or widowed. The book is well written, and the authors' enthusiasm and lively style make it a real "upper" to read. My only quibble is that the authors often seemed to equate "spiritual" with "mainstream religion," usually some form of Christianity. While I agree wholeheartedly about the importance of spirituality in guiding the way one lives, there are many other spiritual paths than joining a Bible study group or attending church regularly, and I wish the authors had made an effort to be more inclusive.

Guidelines to Effective Living

Unlike another reviewer, I believe that Rena Pederson, in her book 'What's Next', has reached women of all ages and income brackets. Any woman (or man) who wishes to discover who she is and what her journey is to be would benefit from this book. The journey begins by looking inward. By asking the questions that Ms. Pederson suggests can lead one to find their true self, discover a passion in life, and gain the confidence to accomplish the goals they wish to obtain. For me, I was in a 'stuck' place, not knowing what I wanted in life. Reading 'What's Next?' and working the exercises which are provided, started me on a path I'd never dreamed I would be capable of pursuing. I feel that I truly can "Do It" now and thank Ms. Pederson for the imputus to get started.

Thought Provoking--Motivates to Action!

I bought the book on a Saturday afternoon and settled down with it that evening. Once started, I was compelled to continue reading and was finished on Sunday. By Wednesday, I had been through the book again, completing many of the exercises. If you are looking for a guide to help you design a life with meaning and purpose, this is the book for you.

Redefinition and Affirmation of Life

Pederson had been thinking about writing a book for quite some time. As she explains in the Introduction, she read and later met the author of "a lovely little book", Halftime. During her conversation with Bob Buford, she observed that she had a difficult time identifying with the transformation process he examines in his book because "all the examples were rich guys. Most women aren't millionaires." She suggested that he write a sequel from a woman's perspective. "Why don't you write it?" To her surprise, she agreed. "And a journey of discovery began." In brief, that is the genesis of this book. Pederson made a commitment and thus an inevitably an arduous process began. Based on what she shares in this book, I am certain that her "journey of discovery" continues and I hope she will write several more books.The material consists of 15 chapters which summarize Pederson's interaction with a number of women who have redefined their dreams in the prime of life. They include some familiar names (Mary Kay Ash, Julia Child, Elizabeth Dole, Linda Ellerbee, and Beverly Sills) but several other, less-familiar names of women no less remarkable. The book's final chapter, "Just Do It! They Did It!224 is especially effective both as an affirmation of key points and as a source of inspiration for men as well as for women, regardless of age and current circumstance. Pederson sought answers to questions such as these:* How do you learn to listen to that little voice inside of you?* How do you filter out voices of well-meaning people who say "don't"?* How can you get away from the busy-ness and much-ness of life to find peace of mind?* If you could add one accomplishment to your life, what would it be?* How would you like to be remembered?* How can you be sure of what you need to do?Excellent questions. The women with whom Pederson interacted provide their own answers, of course, and along the way, Pederson and her reader formulate theirs. The titles of the book's individual chapters suggest (to me, at least) something of a consensus among respondents. For example, There Is Still Time, Take Care of Yourself, Get Good Advice, Build a Circle of Support, and Don't Be Afraid of Failure. (These titles remind of Lily Tomlin who once suggested that reality is a "collective hunch." She is not represented in this book, I hasten to add.) Lee Smith is also to be commended on the excellent self-help questions she devised for individual chapters. Pederson is a brilliant editor of material she accumulated. Her own distinctive voice blends so well with others' as she and they (as well as the reader) share the "journey of discovery" to which I referred earlier. I was also pleased that Pederson provides a "Recommended Reading" section and a "Bibliography" for those who may wish to extend that "journey" into other areas.

REACH FOR THE STARS!

So many woman grow from childhood to adulthood without ever really discovering who they are as an individual. As children we are raised according to the expectations of our parents. In school, we try to meet the expectations of our teachers. As adults, we try to live up to the expectations of our employers. In our personal relationships, we want to please our spouse or partner. One of the saddest changes that transpires, often without even realizing it is happening, is that we become an extension of someone else's image of who we should be; we often lose our own personal identy. Is it any wonder we can become confused about who we really are and what are real purpose is in life? It is highly unlikely we were put here simply to live up to the expectations of others. If so, then life would be rather self-defeating.This is a great book that suggests how you can discover your true self, fulfill your dreams and reach your full potential. With determination and commitment, you can reach for the stars and be the person you were always meant to be - regardless of your age; age is nothing more than a number. There is so much encouragement and inspiration contained among these pages, that you will feel motivated to take that gigantic leap for the unknown. There is nothing wrong in putting other's needs before your own; it can be an admirable quality. However, when you continually sacrifice your own identy to please others, you limit your potential by not allowing yourself to grow as the unique and special person you really are - your true self. This is certainly a book worth reading.