★ A brand-new work by George Zimmar, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Pace University, a postdoctoral fellow at MIT, former Chair of the Psychology Departments at Grinnell College and Briar Cliff College, and a senior executive at leading global academic publishers such as Routledge!
★ This is a documentary account of retirement and the economic and psychological security that comes with it. Through the lenses of psychology and humanism, George Zimmar dissects how modern individuals, once their paycheck stops, can rediscover their unique place and sense of dignity within their families and communities.
★ Drawing on the personal stories of more than a dozen ordinary people, as well as the author’s own experiences, the book explores individuals’ pursuit of financial security in retirement, examines the impact of social and sexual revolutions on traditional values, and investigates how people, after retirement, seek anew the meaning of life, the nature of interpersonal relationships, and the value of community.

This book tells a true story, using the experiences of the author himself and over a dozen ordinary Americans from the heartland to show how the “American Dream” has shifted from a shared spiritual ideal into a personal quest for security in retirement. It documents the impact of social and sexual revolutions on American lives, as well as the decline of traditional values.
The book explores people’s search for meaning in retirement, and the enduring value of interpersonal relationships and community ties. As author George Zimmar puts it: “My paycheck has retired, but I’m still working.”

George Zimmar
George Zimmar is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Pace University. He holds a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at MIT, where he received a postdoctoral fellowship. He served as chair of the psychology departments at Grinnell College and Briarcliff College, later becoming a senior professor of psychology at Pace University, and is now Professor Emeritus.
George Zimmar has also held senior executive positions at several leading global academic publishing houses, including serving as a director and publisher at prestigious scholarly publishers such as Rowman & Littlefield and Routledge. During this time, he was primarily responsible for developing academic book and journal projects in the fields of behavioral science, psychology, and addiction medicine.
He authored an autobiography and memoir titled “Walking with Fat Cat: A Greek-American Youth in Search of Identity and Love,” which chronicles his upbringing in 1950s Chicago as the son of Greek immigrants, and has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and edited works.
He also holds the honorary title of Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople—a highly esteemed and prestigious honor within the Eastern Orthodox Church, typically bestowed upon leaders or scholars who have made outstanding contributions to society, the Church, and humanitarian causes.
He and his wife, Dolly Pappas Zimmar, have two children and five grandchildren.