Mark E Stanton

Congratulations on reaching that point in life where you can sit back, put your feet up, and enjoy retirement! Just think of it, no more cares, no more hurry and...no more paychecks! Yikes! The first day of retirement is an exciting time. You get to sleep in until noon, then sit around in your pajamas all day. There are lots of soap operas to catch up on and then of course all those small jobs around the house you’ve been putting off for years. That was always the plan, right? But the reality is you’ll still get up at 7 a.m. every morning, looking in the mirror and wonder what to do with yourself.

Looking to some of the world's greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, Brooks explores how, through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character. Labor activist Frances Perkins understood the need to suppress parts of herself so that she could be an instrument in a larger cause. Dwight Eisenhower organized his life not around impulsive self-expression but considered self-restraint.

Eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. His days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret.