"You-Turn: Changing Direction in Midlife" (June 2008) recently achieved #1 Amazon Bestseller status. Dr. Nancy Irwin, a Los Angeles-based doctor of psychology and clinical hypnotist, wrote this self-help non-fiction book to inspire others that it is never too late to live a life you love. This collection of "over 40 stories of people over 40" chronicles successful transitions in people's personal and/or professional lives.
Originally from Atlanta, where she trained as an opera singer, Dr. Irwin moved to New York City in 1985 to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. She worked all over the country and abroad, and moved to L.A. in 1994 when she heard that Hollywood needed more blondes. She quips: "The road from comedy to mental health is very short, indeed." Dr. Nancy experienced an epiphany when she began volunteering for a shelter for sexually abused children. It changed her life, and prompted her to pursue a doctorate in psychology and to specialize in the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse. You-Turn not only shares her own story, but also 43 other you-turns from a variety of people - some simple, some dramatic: a convicted crack dealer who became a real estate investor, a mother of nine who started a foundation for the leprosy-affected, a monk who became a motivational speaker, a recovering pedophile, a man who became a spouse and parent after 40, a woman who finally embraced her sexual identity after years of denial and abuse, and more. The stories are divided into two parts: change by default (injury, break-up, lay-off, etc.) and change by choice (boredom, lack of fulfillment, etc).Videos