Nigel Marsh

I was first introduced to Nigel Marsh's books by a friend who told me that Fat, Forty and Fired had changed his life. s soon as he told me the premise: a guy who decides, in the wake of a redundancy, to leave the corporate world, giving up his status and paycheck to spend more time with his family, I knew I had to read it. After all it was the very theme of the novel I was working on which later became Black Cow. I enjoyed the book so much, that I went on to read his next book Overworked show more and Underlaid. So when Marsh’s new book, Fit, Fifty and Fired Up came out, not too far away from my own impending fiftieth (and very close to my husband’s), it found its way to the top of my reading stack faster than you can say self-actualisation.

Like the two books that preceded it, Fit, Fifty and Fired Up is deceptively easy. The prose is smooth and often very funny, tracking Marsh’s ongoing progress in making his life meaningful as he once again takes a year off work to renew his sense of self and connect with his family. The simplicity of style makes the medicine easy to take. This is no how-to, point-by-point primer for self-help, though there are twelve summary lessons at the back. Instead, without any hint of didacticism, Marsh’s book makes it very clear that modern priorities are often hideously skewed, focusing on the accumulation of things and ever increasing degrees of slavery in order to live someone’s else’s dream.

Of course there is a lot that is different in this book, and for readers of the other two books, it’s interesting to check-in on the progress that Marsh has made in his decade long transition from a fat, fired forty year old (not to mention overworked and underlaid) to a fit, fired-up fifty year old. For one thing, Marsh is a relatively fit teetotaller, doing annual rough water ocean races (and as someone who occasionally swims in the ocean, I know this is no small achievement) with a reasonably steady lecture circuit (including the moniker of Australia's most watched TED talk), and two successful books under his belt. As far as progress goes, Marsh’s earlier changes appear to be pretty close to permanent and that alone is interesting for those who have been following his progress through the nonfiction keyhole. Nevertheless, there are still things he wants to change. For one, he wants to learn to cook, both to ease the pressure on his rather deliciously cynical wife Kate, and to fill what feels to him as a significant capability gap. He also wants to lose a little more weight, bump his fitness up a bit more, re-connect with his family, and of course re-ignite his sense of purpose and passion in what he does – something that is difficult to do when mired in a busy work life or tilting at the corporate ladder.

There’s nothing pompous in this book. Instead Marsh just shares his experiences and what he’s learned in his journey in a very down-to-earth, accessible way, as one might do in a conversation with a friend. We share his frustrations in losing weight, his attempts to connect with his Dad who has Parkinson and Dementia, his sports, the funny experiences he has with his family. The one overriding quality of this, and all of Marsh’s books is how familiar it all is. I suspect that anyone from age thirty onwards will recognise aspects of themselves in his journey. While the book will certainly resonate with women, it is perhaps the case that women are less likely to get themselves so thoroughly stuck in the workforce, partly because of maternity leave and the physical changes that having children creates. Still, the parenting stories of soccer games and birthday parties will all hit home and leave any reader at this stage of their lives with multiple children laughing knowingly. For men though, Marsh’s tale is not only salutary, it’s perfectly pitched, couching some serious life lessons and pointers in witty story. I’m just hoping that if I leave it somewhere obvious (like the bedside nightstand) some of the twelve lessons that the book contains might actually have an impact. That so many men (and some women) live lives of servitude and never stop to think about who they are or what they might want to really achieve in the short space that we have is a modern tragedy. Marsh gently and humorously makes this obvious, and in the changes he’s created in his own life, sets a trend that others can easily follow. show less

I thought this was a fun-to-read memoir about a male midlife crisis of sorts. Nigel Marsh, a UK expatriate living in Australia, turns forty, and due to corporate downsizing, decides to take a year off from the business treadmill to conquer some of his personal demons and better himself while reconnecting with his family & friends.

Marsh’s stand-up comic past is evident in his humorous, sometimes satirical, writing style. He made me laugh (and even cry a little) as he addressed his triumph show more over alcoholism, his swimming & running adventures, his Australian/British/Italian travels, his poignant relationship with his parents, and his growing understanding of how to become a better husband and father.

Nigel Marsh arrives at interesting conclusions as a result of his fortieth year hiatus … conclusions that may help define what it means to live (or not live) a “balanced life.” show less

Considering I now fit two out of the three (still employed, thankfully), I thought I should give this book a go. I'm glad I did. Nigel Marsh account of his year off from work was a hilarious and inspirational account of his reacquainting himself with his family and the life he didn't know he had.

A funny and frank story of a man who tried to see what he has missed by being on the corporate hamster wheel.

a really good read which made me wonder what I could do if I could ever give up my work for a year.