There is the risk people get scared because of the issues/setbacks, but hey.. a warned person counts for two!
Book idea (collection of personal plans)
What i think would be interesting to read is what kind of issues/setbacks these people needed to overcome to succeed. Reading a success story is nice (but IMHO might get quite boring after reading 10 of those in a row), but people on their way to ER(E)/FI probably will get into similar issues or setbacks themselves and then it might be comforting to read that other people were able to get over them and succeeded in the end.
There is the risk people get scared because of the issues/setbacks, but hey.. a warned person counts for two!
There is the risk people get scared because of the issues/setbacks, but hey.. a warned person counts for two!
Jacob - This a fabulous idea. I have been desperate to find more stories of people who have actually acheived the goal. The YMOYL sequal "Getting a Life" tried to do it, but in some ways failed because many of the people interviewed were just on the path to FI not actually FI yet. Other areas where Getting a Life could have been improved are better stories about people who have the money but are scared of the transition and of people who have found meaningful ways to spend their now abundant freetime.
Bottom line see where Getting a Life failed and then write something that overcomes those failures because a book with new relevent FI stories is needed.
Bottom line see where Getting a Life failed and then write something that overcomes those failures because a book with new relevent FI stories is needed.
There's a lot of cool ways you could present this information, too, depending upon the target audience. For instance, the interviews could be arranged in terms of 'extremeness' - starting with someone retiring at 55 or something, down to someone who retired at 30 and travels the world. Or they could be arranged to present key ideas one at a time... there are a lot of possibilities.
I agree that numbers and budgets would be great. However, I'm part of the 'choir' so to speak, and as you nominated reader no longer is a handful of researches in the same area as you, you need to provide several ways in to the material, for the penny to drop for as many people as possible.
I'm partial to footnotes, endnotes and appendixes. These may give several levels of text, which may easily be accessed, and they may be ‘advanced’ without being alienating.
And a pet peeve of mine: let the typography do the job on the cover. What is said in words do not haveto be repeated in images. Just have the text set well.
That said, a publication with interview style or essayistic stories on ERE applied or attempted would be great. I'd buy it.
I'm partial to footnotes, endnotes and appendixes. These may give several levels of text, which may easily be accessed, and they may be ‘advanced’ without being alienating.
And a pet peeve of mine: let the typography do the job on the cover. What is said in words do not haveto be repeated in images. Just have the text set well.
That said, a publication with interview style or essayistic stories on ERE applied or attempted would be great. I'd buy it.
@jacob:
I think this is a great idea. I like the idea of interviews, focusing mostly on people that have done ERE, but also people that are on their way. If you hit up more demographics, you can potentially attract the "escape the 9-5" and "4 hour work week" crowds.
I think the key will be to show the spectrum of levels of commitment. You are extreme, I think we'll all agree. And for me, that's awesome and why I loved the book and found your website. Then I lent the book to my wife, and she flipped and insisted she won't live like that.
So I got to work and put a plan together that greatly reduces our expenditures, and I painted the picture of what our life would be like when I quit my job in 2 years. We compromised, and put together an ERE plan that is extreme to her and pretty reasonable to me. I think a book like you describe could help reach more people like my wife.
I think this is a great idea. I like the idea of interviews, focusing mostly on people that have done ERE, but also people that are on their way. If you hit up more demographics, you can potentially attract the "escape the 9-5" and "4 hour work week" crowds.
I think the key will be to show the spectrum of levels of commitment. You are extreme, I think we'll all agree. And for me, that's awesome and why I loved the book and found your website. Then I lent the book to my wife, and she flipped and insisted she won't live like that.
So I got to work and put a plan together that greatly reduces our expenditures, and I painted the picture of what our life would be like when I quit my job in 2 years. We compromised, and put together an ERE plan that is extreme to her and pretty reasonable to me. I think a book like you describe could help reach more people like my wife.