Second Acts: Creating the Life You Really Want, Building the Career You Truly Desire

by Stephen M. Pollan, Mark Levine

In his new book, Second Acts, Stephen Pollan shares with readers the idea that people are unnecessarily fearful of dramatic change, that they mistakenly believe that they are locked into the life or career course they are on.

In this book he shows them how to take a daring leap and create what he calls a 'second act' – a dramatic life change that can lead to happiness and fulfilment.

Drawing on his own consulting practice, his own life experiences, and working under the premise that 'everything is possible', Pollan shows readers how to live a life without boundaries. Now, in an age of uncertainty, he says, is the time for a second act – a time when anything and everything is possible. Whether it's changing careers, starting your own business, or dropping everything in order to pursue a life dream, Pollan shows how each and every one of us can overcome the biggest obstacles to happiness – those in our own mind – and create our personal second acts, resulting in a more gratifying and fulfilling life.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published December 24, 2002

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book falls into the "not quite what I expected category" and turned out to be a disappointing read. Second Acts outlines a series of thought and awareness exercises designed to help the reader look deep into themselves to discover their motivational triggers, then design an action plan to make their desires a reality over years, if needed. Peppered throughout each chapter are examples of famous people who achieved their dreams in one or more "second acts." Having spent my career creating strategies, project plans and executing against them, this book was a slightly different twist on the same thing. I dutifully completed the activities as I believe there is always something to be learned. I had to dig for it and it was still - a yawn.

[Marci Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a good book. The author gives quite a few examples of people who have either completely changed their life or decided that their life needed to be revived in someway. He takes you through all of the steps you would need to create your second act in life. He also gives The story behind his own personal history how inadvertently changed his own life. He also includes quite a few exercises to help people figure out what that new path might be. Although I did not complete the exercises, I read through them to gain an understanding of what needs to be done.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book many years ago and I remember starting it and realizing it wasn't what I was looking for at that time. Now that I have irrevocably committed to my own second act, I found this book on my shelf. Reading it through, I find that I instinctively followed several of the exercises outlined here. However, I do wish I had referred to this book 2 years ago as I missed out several important steps.

[Malin Friess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is filled with lots of platitudes..(building the career you truly desire)...so to me it came across as an all-too-common self-help book. Pollan writes a much better book...Die Broke (with specific recommendations about retirement).

2 stars for Second Acts.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stuff in here.

[Lori Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A should-read book on how to have passion in work.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Planning for a 2nd career - what you really want to do now, figuring it out, what might be barriers, ending with putting it all together.

[Stacey James · Rating 5 out of 5]

No need to hire an expensive life coach if you read this book. An excellent resource to help you unlock your next career!

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same old same old... With more details.