During our retirement and while doing research for The Retirement Sourcebook, we found a wide range of adaptation during this period of life. We gravitated toward retirees who were active, involved, satisfied, and happy. They were positive; they were vibrant. They were a delight to get to know. Yet, as we traveled, we encountered others who were experiencing mediocre retirements. Many retirees were so bored that they were filling time with low-paying jobs.

What were the differences between happy and not-so-happy retirees? As we met with other retirees and visited recommended retirement locales, we determined that neither net worth nor location was critical to happiness. More important were factors such as attitude, resolve, and emotional maturity. In other words, people could enjoy a great retirement without a net worth of a million dollars or a home in a retirement community.

In 101, we list those secrets and write a few words to share what we've learned. We've garnered additional facts from academic research, organizational surveys, and personal interviews. To be included in our book, each secret had to "ring true." It had to be observable and verifiable by people enjoying a great retirement.

You should be able to find (or have a book store order) this book as it's distributed by McGraw-Hill.