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273rd out of 1,393 books
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Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement
Everyone says they would like to retire early, but Rodney Rothman actually did it -- forty years early. Burnt out, he decides at the age of twenty-eight to get an early start on his golden years. He travels to Boca Raton, Florida, where he moves in with an elderly piano teacher at Century Village, a retirement village that is home to thousands of senior citizens.
Ear
...morePaperback, 256 pages
Published
April 26th 2005
by Simon & Schuster
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Jeff
rated it
Recommends it for:
People who are wearing nothing but their socks while watching Jeopardy in the middle of the day
“Where’s your coat?”
“It’s not that cold.”
“You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t wear a coat.”
“It’s 82 degrees outside.”
“I know. Where’s your coat? Put on your coat!”
“Yes ma’am.”
Rodney Rothman, I wish I were you. I wish I were a former head writer for The Late Show with David Letterman. I wish I had gotten to work on the Judd Apatow television show Undeclared. I’ve read some of your McSweeney’s articles, and I laughed at them.
I’ve seen yo...more
“It’s not that cold.”
“You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t wear a coat.”
“It’s 82 degrees outside.”
“I know. Where’s your coat? Put on your coat!”
“Yes ma’am.”
Rodney Rothman, I wish I were you. I wish I were a former head writer for The Late Show with David Letterman. I wish I had gotten to work on the Judd Apatow television show Undeclared. I’ve read some of your McSweeney’s articles, and I laughed at them.
I’ve seen yo...more
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Rothman is part of the ever growing number of writer's who set of on a predetermined venture of which they are paid to write about. This type of story typically works for me because I don't mind living vicariously through writing, these books are typically quite humorous and often I learn something from the vicarious experience.
Unfortunately, Rothman's just didn't resonate with me. The venture was too canned, the humor was few and far between, his knowledge and insight was limit...more
Unfortunately, Rothman's just didn't resonate with me. The venture was too canned, the humor was few and far between, his knowledge and insight was limit...more
the david sedaris comparisons (in the cover flap reviews as well as by the author himself throughout the book) are something i just don't see. this book was funny enough to make me crack some semblence of a smile 2 or 3 times in reading this book, but i never laughed out loud, and more than anything, i felt a little depressed reading it. i don't know why i thought this book would be funny. even after reading this book (especially after?) retiring and aging are not things i look forward to.
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I thought "Early Bird" was interesting but too staged. You’ve got this successful Jewish writer who won’t stop talking about how Jewish he is parlaying his success into a book deal through which he moves to Florida for “spontaneous” interactions with retirees. I don’t know. Rather than experience retirement then writing the book, the book was clearly in the forefront of his mind throughout the experience. “Let’s go to Florida and write a funny book about old people!” He does treat the ...more
Rodney is 28. Rodney loses his job. Rodney considers going on vacation. Rodney remembers his best vacations--visiting his grandparents at their retirement home in Florida. Rodney decides to retire 40 years early. Just to check it out, you know. He literally moves into a retirement community, renting out a room in an elderly lady's condo. He has a bit of difficulty making friends with his neighbors (they're all pretty friendly until they realize that he isn't anyone's grandson). He joins clubs--l...more
As a 34 year old in the middle of my career I often dream about retiring early. I was able to live vicariously through Rodney Rothman's book Early Bird. He takes the read with him into early retirement as he faces some of the same issues true retirees face such as fitting in socially, finding a date and keeping an active lifestyle. Rothman also discovers that the elderly are not the sweet old "adorable" folks we think they are. Aging doesn't mean people regress to a younger, more innoc...more
I didn't really like this book. It didn't live up to my expectations. It has a quote from Jon Stewart on the cover, and seemed like a good concept, but wasn't that funny. The book doesn't have a good throughline. I imagine Rothman had all this material and it sort of resolved itself into various topics. However he ends one chapter abruptly and begins the next with no bridge between. He has a very dry style, but it comes off as lack of interest rather than wit. There's no sense that he act...more
Rodney retires at the age of 28 and moves to a 'community' in Florida. He learns about aging as well as the importance of youth.
I thought this book was at turns hilarious and heartbreaking. Rodney has an excellent comedic voice, honed while writing jokes for Letterman prior to his 'retirement.' I learned a lot while reading this book, but it didn't feel like learning. I would recommend this to anyone who reads for the same reason I do: To learn about lifestyles and events that are very diff...more
I thought this book was at turns hilarious and heartbreaking. Rodney has an excellent comedic voice, honed while writing jokes for Letterman prior to his 'retirement.' I learned a lot while reading this book, but it didn't feel like learning. I would recommend this to anyone who reads for the same reason I do: To learn about lifestyles and events that are very diff...more
Jeannie
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in this subject, looking for a light read or a laugh.
Recommended to Jeannie by:
me
I really enjoyed this book and found myself relating to a lot of what he wrote about. Florida is my favorite state and when I stay there (usually twice a year) I stay with an older friend who lives in one of these retirement communities and I HAVE met the pool ladies! I have felt how he felt many times with trying to fit in when you stick out like a sore thumb! I found myself rolling more than once. Yes he does talk about being Jewish quite a bit but hey! he IS Jewish..so what? Doesn't take awa...more
Being on the cusp of retirement myself, I related to so much in this book. I have also checked out the odd retirement village but decided it was not me JUST yet. Rodney Rotham has a keen sense of humour and an astute manner in reminiscing about his six months in a retirement village leading the life of a typical resident while gathering material for this book. It helped to centre himself while at the same time giving a new aspect to the daily lives of those around him. An enjoyable read with Amy...more
Amy
rated it
Recommends it for:
young folks considering couch surfing and those not quite ready for retirement.
I decided to read this at a time when I was between jobs - thinking maybe I might find some kind of solace from the guilt I was having from being unemployed. Far from it, not only was the book written while "retired" but the residents don't just sit around either.
The book is about Rodney, a comedy writer who gets laid off and decides to start his retirement early - about 30 years early. He moves to Florida and has a dry run of his real retirement, checking out retirement co...more
The book is about Rodney, a comedy writer who gets laid off and decides to start his retirement early - about 30 years early. He moves to Florida and has a dry run of his real retirement, checking out retirement co...more
I loved Early Bird. Rodney Rothman takes you on a dysfunctional vacation to Florida, amongst floral-print couches, guffawing retirees, silly grandmas, and four-dollar buffets. These things themselves aren't very interesting, but Rothman synthesizes a broad array of ridiculous Floridians and their quirky habits, all the while using a fantastic observational voice.
It is contemplative at times, usually gut-busting, and mostly light-hearted. Although this book didn't challenge me or screw...more
It is contemplative at times, usually gut-busting, and mostly light-hearted. Although this book didn't challenge me or screw...more
A twenty-something TV writer moves into a retirement community in Florida. He learns about shuffleboard, Red Hat ladies, and after-retirement dating. Overall, this was a light, funny read with a few poignant moments thrown in. Sometimes, however, his tone reminded me of a zookeeper taking notes while he watches monkeys in a cage -- fascinated but also distant, or rather, too aware of himself as a student of this group, which gave this book an anthropological feel at times.
This is another favorite that I've loved each time I've read it. The author is a comedy writer for Letterman who found himself between jobs and decided that, since he was eventually going to end up in a retirement community in Florida, he might as well go ahead and move there now...at 27. This is narrative nonfiction at its most entertaining as Rodney takes us through his real-life experiences with his elderly female roommate and her contraband cats, the poolside canasta game he can't seem to ...more
Funny and facinating at times. Many of us have wondered what it would be like to not only be retired, but to live the life of a prototypical retiree. Rothman decided to take a break from his normal life and get an early glimpse of retired life. For the most part, Rothman's observations are witty and wry. Unfortunately, they are mostly anecdotal - a string of unrelated stories that, while amusing, don't really provide one with a narrative. Clearly learning something from his experiences wasn't Ro...more
Holy hysterical, Batman! A TV writer decides to go into early retirement while still in his twenties, moves into a Florida retirement community and lives the life of the elderly. He has to integrate himself into a group (the much sought after Pool Group, the exclusive Bridge group, the Bingo group...), get along with his crazy cat-obsessed elderly roommate, and deal with set-ups and 5pm dinner dates. Such a fun, true story.
Aside from a few amusing anecdotes and some humorous character sketches, I wouldn’t really characterize this as a funny book. Nor is it a particularly insightful look into retirement through the eyes of a burnt-out 20-something. In fact, I’m not really sure what this book is. The most I can say about it is that it is sweet in a kind of funny/kind of sad way.
Borrowed from the public library.
Borrowed from the public library.
This book is all about 30-something Rodney Rothman's early retirement - after leaving a television writing job, Rodney shacks up with a 80 year old retiree roomate, learns the ins-and-outs of South Florida's retirement community, and discovers that retirement is not at all what we think. Very entertaining, not least because Rodney retires to the community where my own grandparents lived.
Wow, I enjoyed this book way more than I imagined I would. Probably helps that I read it on my way to AZ to visit grandparents who actually live in a fancy pants retirement community. This book was funny, interesting, insightful, sad at times, and both beat down and re-affirmed just a few notions we have about old people. Naturally you will want to compare the author to writers like Sedaris, and he evens jokes about that at one point... but don't waste time trying to compare the merits, just ...more
This thirty-something writer decides to see what all the retirement fuss is about. He moves to Florida and proceeds to have a number of humerous experiences as he figures out what he needs to do to be ready for real retirment when it arrives. Written so that each chapter could stand alone, some were clearly better than others and in some others, the humor was forced and not funny.
This book was written by a friend of my son so of course I was interested. However, it stands on its own as a good read. After losing a job at the age of 28, the author decides to"retire" to Florida and check out what life is like for people his grandparents ages. Told with humor and humility, he alternately confirms and challenges our perceptions of aging and retirement.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A writer decides to go to Florida and try out retirement 40 years ahead of time with the idea of being better prepared to retire when he is finally going to do so. His description of life in a retirement community will make you laugh out loud. It also shows his growth as he learns some lessons from the folks that he meets there.
This scores a very definite 2 stars as it was very definitely just ok. Clearly, though, whoever put Dave Eggers in charge of the hipness propaganda machine didn't leave him enough help as he'll endorse anything (or anything written by his too numerous friends). I'm beginning to see that if Eggers endorses something, it's because it doesn't stand on its own two feet.
Fun, fun, FUN!!!
The premise cracked me up. The writing brought a smile, each and every page. Just a sampling of the fun reading: Mabel's log of daily indignities at the retiree-laden bakery; the entire "Vivian", siren retiree, chapter; the Red Hatters gambling cruise. I'm suggesting Rodney make a visit to The Villages next.
The premise cracked me up. The writing brought a smile, each and every page. Just a sampling of the fun reading: Mabel's log of daily indignities at the retiree-laden bakery; the entire "Vivian", siren retiree, chapter; the Red Hatters gambling cruise. I'm suggesting Rodney make a visit to The Villages next.
A memoir by a David Letterman writer of his premature retirement in Century Village (Boca Raton). The writer spends 6 months in retirement when he is 28 years old. The book is laugh out loud funny at t8mes but at other times really hits the nail on the head when it comes to aging and retirement. A quick and easy read.
The first half of this book is absolutely hilarious. A 28 year old moves into a retirement village in Florida and is soon making advertisments for shuffleboard and trying to figure out the rules to hatpin bingo. The second half sadly doesn't have the same humor level, but still a great read overall.
Writer “retires” 40 years early after he loses his job. He moves to Boca Raton, Florida and shares a condo in a retirement village for four months. Quick read. He finds out that your personality is who you are, you don’t change as you get older.
Had the opportunity to meet Rodney at one of our Hollywood Book Club meetings. I fell in love with this book. A witty and quick read. If you have a grandparent in Florida and appreciate sarcasm on steroids, this book will be your new nightcap. Enjoy!
This a book about a former Letterman writer who retires to a retirement commnutity in Florida in his 20s. I wanted to like this book a lot more then I did. It did confirm my notion that I never want to retire to Florida though.
This was a nice book about a guy in his late-twenties trying out life in a retirement community in Florida. It's a quick read, funny, and sheds some light on what few of us may ever experience.
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