Author Steven Mayfield talks about his book "Afterlife Crises."

Fired at 55? How to work past the downsizing blues Author offers insight on starting a new career late in life According to a recent study conducted by AchieveGlobal, more than 54 percent of U.S. businesses say the greatest challenge they face this year is cost cutting due to poor economic conditions. While there are many methods used to curb business costs, downsizing has become one of the most popular. So far this year, more than 1.2 million people have been the victim of downsizing efforts. Author Steve Mayfield is no stranger to downsizing. He has experience being on both sides of the firing table, and as the former Director for CNA Insurance and Vice President for Zurich Insurance, Mayfield has successfully survived two corporate crunches himself. With his new book, Afterlife Crisis, (Synergy Books, 2008, 978-1-934454-24-4, $17.95) a novel with an original soundtrack, Mayfield hopes to help others in similar situations learn to view a layoff not as a career death, but as a rebirth. "This downsizing trend is really hitting the baby boomer generation in a hard way," Mayfield says. "People my age who were once looking to retire at 55 now have to start over. Over the past two decades, I have struggled to constantly reinvent myself through my work, and now I hope to help others realize that they can do the same." Afterlife Crisis is a fictional story that focuses on perseverance in dealing with job loss and uses four key elements: compassion, tolerance, risk and knowledge to help readers discover lifelong happiness. Unlike most books aimed at boomers, Afterlife Crisis relates to readers not only through the text but also with an accompanying 1960's style music soundtrack. Following the life of downsized manager Frank Moon, Afterlife Crisis chronicles Moon's trip back to Earth from an ethereal resting place where he overcomes an afterlife-midlife-crisis, only to discover that he already possesses within himself all that is needed to touch the lives of oth