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50+ The Prison of Thoughts - 20 Small Moves Out of Exhaustion: A Chess Novel About Burnout and the Way Back
Paperback
Series: 50 Plus, Book 24
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN13: 9798257694097
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Apr 16 2026
Pages: 232
Weight: 0.70
Height: 0.49 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Apr 16 2026
Pages: 232
Weight: 0.70
Height: 0.49 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
What to expect
This book is divided into three parts:
Part 1 - Jonas Bergmann: 20 Chess Moves Back to Himself
A man in his late forties, exhausted, still functioning, lost. Chapter by chapter, move by move, he finds his way back - not through grand gestures, but through small, patient movements: a no without apology, a wooden bowl for the phone, a letter to the boss, a Saturday in a workshop.
This book is divided into three parts:
Part 1 - Jonas Bergmann: 20 Chess Moves Back to Himself
A man in his late forties, exhausted, still functioning, lost. Chapter by chapter, move by move, he finds his way back - not through grand gestures, but through small, patient movements: a no without apology, a wooden bowl for the phone, a letter to the boss, a Saturday in a workshop.
Part 2 - The Theory of Exhaustion
Wrapped in the chess metaphor: why control is not a solution, why blockades are information, why letting go is not a loss. Never instructive, always narrative.
Part 3 - 35 True Stories (Practical Section)
Sabine, who tears up a 200-euro note in a waiting room. Michael, who lies on the kitchen floor for two hours. Andreas, who burns 47 ties. Each story is short, real, and different. An index helps you search by symptom: sleep disorders, panic, perfectionism, saying no, helper syndrome.
Who is this book for?
For people between 30 and 70 who sense that something is wrong
For family members who want to understand what is happening to their partner, parent, or friend
For anyone tired of self-help guides and looking for a story that doesn't leave them alone
What this book is not
No 10-step programme
No medical instruction manual
No you will be healed in 4 weeks
It is an invitation. Nothing more. But perhaps that is exactly what you need right now.
About the Author
Art Adoro is a writer and companion of the 50+ Special Train series. He travels, listens, and writes down what moves people. This is his first book outside the series - about a subject that reaches him every day.
Sample Reader Review
I read this book on a train journey - and then again. Jonas's story stayed with me, but the 35 true stories at the end really reached me. Especially the hairdresser who stopped smiling. That's me. Finally a book that doesn't lecture, but accompanies.
- Sabine W., 52, accountant
Wrapped in the chess metaphor: why control is not a solution, why blockades are information, why letting go is not a loss. Never instructive, always narrative.
Part 3 - 35 True Stories (Practical Section)
Sabine, who tears up a 200-euro note in a waiting room. Michael, who lies on the kitchen floor for two hours. Andreas, who burns 47 ties. Each story is short, real, and different. An index helps you search by symptom: sleep disorders, panic, perfectionism, saying no, helper syndrome.
Who is this book for?
For people between 30 and 70 who sense that something is wrong
For family members who want to understand what is happening to their partner, parent, or friend
For anyone tired of self-help guides and looking for a story that doesn't leave them alone
What this book is not
No 10-step programme
No medical instruction manual
No you will be healed in 4 weeks
It is an invitation. Nothing more. But perhaps that is exactly what you need right now.
About the Author
Art Adoro is a writer and companion of the 50+ Special Train series. He travels, listens, and writes down what moves people. This is his first book outside the series - about a subject that reaches him every day.
Sample Reader Review
I read this book on a train journey - and then again. Jonas's story stayed with me, but the 35 true stories at the end really reached me. Especially the hairdresser who stopped smiling. That's me. Finally a book that doesn't lecture, but accompanies.
- Sabine W., 52, accountant
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