Customer Reviews

Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There are books on frugal living, cutting costs and you'll find plenty of those in here, or in any bookstore. But let's start with the premise that 21st century life for many people - especially those who can afford to browse the Internet, and shop on-line, is paced far too fast to be truly enjoyable. Read this book and you'll find personal stories of many people like you, like me, who have found ways to continue living in the world while bringing more meaning into their everyday lives. Not an instruction manual, not helpful hints for practical savings, it's an inspirational boost for those of us who know, in the back of our minds, that we are speeding PAST life at breakneck speed - while realizing that life is too precious and too short to live like we do.

Yes, as soon as I read about the author's spiritual awakening to simplicity as she lived in Carmel, CA as her husband sold real estate in Carmel, this book was lost on me. I mean, get real, anyone can find an environmental awareness when you're living in one of the most beautiful places on earth, you're financially supported by your husband (marketing to those buying large, expensive oceanfront homes), and you're not worried about raising kids, driving carpool, working, or doing anything resembling the life that many of the rest of us have.

The stories presented of those who have made the leap to simplicity did not inspire me. They thought about it, quit their jobs, moved, started new jobs, wow, life is great. Again, having some financial freedom from periods of unemployment, money for downpayments on new apartments, money to relocate, money to eat, yea, it's easy to relocate across the country (or across the ocean) when you have no family and no dire financial considerations.

Save your money, unless reading about the wonderful lives of others makes you feel good. You will not receive any advice on how to live simpler. If you have a big bank account, no kids, and a working partner, then maybe this book might inspire you. For the working class raising kids, don't bother.

I have been a fan of "Your Money Or Your Life" since it was first published, along with the New Road Map Foundation. I've given several copies of that book to friends and family.

However, many people will find that, while they can support and agree with the principles that Dominguez and Robin publish, the practice of those principles as laid out in the book don't fit their chosen way of life.

That's where this book comes in. It is a gentler illustration of many of "Life's" principles. Its value is in the narration of families' applications to different ways of life. As other reviewers have noted, choosing simplicity need not be a 'return to nature' movement or the adoption of practices impractical for so many families. Many of us earn our living doing things we already love, with no need to 'retire' to voluntarism. Plus, it should be remembered that choices available to single people are not necessarily proper for those with family responsibilities.

This book is indeed the proper followup to the Dominguez/Robin book. In the future, if I make that book a gift, this book will accompany it.

This is an inspirational book for anyone who has decided that life can be more content and meaningful by making a conscious decision to simplify. Many people are under the impression that living simply involves giving up all worldly goods and going to live in a one-room dwelling without electricity or running water. Linda Breen Pierce introduces us to mainstream Americans who have found a variety of ways to simplify their lives in order to have a more meaningful existence. Because of this her work has the potential of having more impact on those who read it than stories of people who take a more radical approach to simplicity. For those of us who have already decided to simplify our lives, she lends encouragement and comfort in the fact that we are not alone in our decision. This is an excellent book to begin the Year 2000 reading!

This is the perfect book for anyone out there who thinks that there must be more to life. Buy this book and you will be inspired to make the changes that you know, in your heart, are the right changes to make. Written with an easy-to-read tone, Choosing Simplicity introduces you to over 200 people who have decided that life has more to offer than commuting and paying credit card bills. Their stories will inspire you, as they did me, to prioritize and "clean house." The best thing about this book is that it gives you so many different ways to make your life simple. There isn't just one plan. The various stories allow you to pick and choose what works for you. I enjoyed this book so much that I've purchased it for 3 different people.

I choose a simple lifestyle and I care deeply about living a nonconsumer-y, peaceful life. Not so easy, as I live in New York City. Maybe it's because I live here, but I desperately need to hear about people choosing the same path I have. It helped me so much to read about their setbacks and triumphs and to read the author's nonjudgmental statements about the message she's pulled from each of her interviewee's stories. You need to clarify your values, then get your life in line with those values--whether you chose to live in an urban or a rural setting. This clear written, thoughtful book connected me with others out there who chose simplicity for the same or other reasons as I have. It helps to read other's journeys to feel not quite so much like a freak on a daily basis. Very thought provoking and thoughful.

This book really resonated with me. I had a hard time putting it down. When I purchased it, I was a bit worried that it would be filled with trite or preachy suggestions about going back to the land & living in a tent, making your own jam & clothes, and helping out at the soup kitchen every Christmas in order to discover what's truly valuable in life. I don't in any way mean to knock jam-making, homesteading, or volunteer work - but I think we've all heard those kind of suggestions enough times already, thank you.

Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many different paths the study participants profiled in this book take in order to simplify their lives. There are as many potential paths as there are individuals on the planet. Although most simplicity-seekers (myself included) tend to value the same things (e.g. nature, spirituality, and a rich inner life), there is no formula for attaining a life that privileges what you value. The stories here confirm that mental and physical uncluttering tend to go hand in hand. More importantly, however, the book addresses a broader, deeper, spiritual kind of unburdening that derives from simple living. In other words, simplicity is portrayed as a means to attain greater peace of mind and mindfulness; it isn't necessarily about ascetic living (although some persons choose that option). It most certainly is not about deprivation.

Naturally, I related more to some profiles in the book than to others, but all were valuable to me in some way. I haven't read any of the other simplicity books, but now that I've read this one, I somehow don't feel the need to. This was enough to get me started on my own way. I really liked reading about these folks and think it was more helpful for me than any "how to simplify" guide, although those may be good too.

One other feature I liked: the author interjects her own remarks into each section as she presents the views & experiences of various study participants. Her own remarks are set apart in boxes. Maybe it's because I teach, but I really enjoyed how these comments served to underscore salient meanings in the preceding narratives. These remarks helped synthesize the book - it became much more than a disjointed collection of individual lives and opinions. The author does this skillfully; she doesn't destroy the integrity of any participant's perspective by hogging the spotlight and filtering every remark made through her own lens. In other words, she doesn't demean the subjects by "interpreting" them for us. Instead, she just offers a thoughtful commentary now and then that this reader found "just right."

I find Linda's book very interesting and informative. The book is predominantly stories of people who have made changes towards a simpler (and hopefully more HAPPY) life.

The only thing I found sometimes quite frustrating is that often her examples are those who are from high-paying jobs to start with. For many of us who are less than doctors, lawyers, etc... it is hard to identify with those examples that Linda presents. The book is more about extremes - a highly paid doctor making the decision to cut back... etc....

I would have liked to see more stories of those who are customer service reps, retail workers, waiters/waitresses, etc who made the transition to a more simple and less material lifestyle.

Otherwise, the book is great! Lots of encouraging words to those of us who are realizing that life is not about the car you drive, the title of your job position, or the square footage of our McMansions....

This book is a wonderful companion to "Your Money or Your Life" by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. It is a very well written and easy to read interpretation of an on-line survey and describes the creative lifestyles of a wide variety of people from a wide variety of economic circumstances and educations. This is packed with excellent content and inspiring stories. I loved every minute of reading this and plan to read it several times.

Well-written and carefully researched, this book is proof that we can reject the consumerist culture prevalent in 21st-century America. Like another reviewer, I, too, had a hard time putting it down. Although it occasionally indulges too much in New Age-y "spirituality" chatter, this is a work that deserves a place on your shelf with "Your Money or Your Life".