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Less is More: Embracing Simplicity for a Healthy Planet, a Caring Economy and Lasting Happiness [Paperback]

Cecile Andrews , Wanda Urbanska
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 1, 2009

 

"it is a series of hard-hitting essays by a diverse collection of writers that wraps its arms around everything from simplicity to climate change to economic metrics to happiness. I approached each chapter (each new writer) with skepticism and a willingness to put the book down, and I found my self delighted time after time. This is a book anyone would be glad to have on their shlf." - Lyle Estill

"Here is a book with its roots in the earth that can move you to new places, stimulate ideas and encourage change. Less is More will show you how to divest gradually, to live more in the present moment, while still paying attention to technology, health, politics and the environment. Simplicity is not a turning away. It is a rejoining." Barbara Bamberger Scott

 

"The anthology's true strength comes in the diversity of its voices - which include not only journalists and activists, but also businesspeople and ministers. Less is More will serve as an informative and inspiring primer." - Ryan Williams, ForeWord Magazine

 

"Andrews and Urbanska are masterful in their prose and their ability to bring together an eclectic array of writers, thinkers and sustainability adovcates who live in ways that echo what they write about. " John Ivanko

"No good idea stays local for long," writes Jay Walljaspsr in Less is More, a smart collection of essays that chant the simplicity mantra without oversimpifying the issues at stake. Many of these ideas seem bound to travel far." - Utne Reader

"I am both educated and inspired by the writings in Less is More. Living simply, like finding the heart, is the work of a lifetime. It is not easy to get there, but it provides a life of ease once the goal is reached. This book is a wonderful contribution to reorienting our lives away from the alienating influences of our shame-inducing consumer culture back toward what is really important: the choice to care for ourselves, others and the planet in a simple, loving way." - Glenn Berger, PhD, glennbergerblog

People are afraid and anxious. We’re destroying the planet, undermining happiness, and clinging to an unsustainable economy. Our obsessive pursuit of wealth isn’t working.

But there’s another way. Less can be More. Throughout history wise people have argued that we need to live more simply—that only by limiting outer wealth can we have inner wealth. Less is More is a compelling collection of essays by people who have been writing about simplicity for decades. They bring us a new vision of Less: less stuff, less work, less stress, less debt. A life with Less becomes a life of More: more time, more satisfaction, more balance, and more security.

When we have too much, we savor nothing. When we choose less, we regain our life and can think and feel deeply. Ultimately, a life of less connects us with one true source of happiness: being part of a caring community. Less is More shows how to turn individual change into a movement that leads to policy changes in government and corporate behavior, work hours, the wealth gap, and sustainability. It will appeal to those who want to take back their lives, their planet, and their well-being.

Cecile Andrews is the author of Circle of Simplicity and Slow is Beautiful and cofounder of Phinney EcoVillage. She has her doctorate in education from Stanford.

Wanda Urbanska is producer and host of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska. She is author or co-author of numerous books, including Simple Living and Nothing’s Too Small to Make a Difference.


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Editorial Reviews

Review


I picked up a book by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska. Its collection of essays focus on “simplicity”, but they are (as our British friends would say) spot on about the inner journey of Transition. I strongly recommend this book as a part of Transition literature. Less is More reminds us that the inner goal is “knowing who you are, being clear about your values, understanding what brings true well-being.” - Joanne Poyourow, Transition US

About the Author

Cecile Andrews is a community educator, author of Circle of Simplicity, and contributor to several books on living more simply and taking back our time. She has a doctorate from Stanford and teaches at Seattle University. She and her husband are founders of Seattle's Phinney Ecovillage, a neighborhood-based sustainable community. Wanda Urbanska is a Harvard graduate whose life's work has involved living simply. She is the President of Simple Living Company, www.simplelivingtv.net , the producer/host of Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, and the author of three books on the subject. She lives in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: New Society Publishers (September 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0865716501
  • ISBN-13: 978-0865716506
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.7 x 5.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #460,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent September 19, 2009
By Tina
Format:Paperback
I have been contemplating over the last few years how it is that I somehow seems to have gotten caught up in the "more, more, more" attitude that alot of society seems to have and more importantly, I have been attempting to get myself out of that frame of mind (not to mention that frame of spending).

Enter Less is More - Embracing Simplicity - which is really an absolutely perfect title that says it all.

Authors Cecile Andres and Wanda Urbanska have written an illuminated, concise and highly interesting and inspiring read about what life (your life and mine) can be, how fulfulled we can be with a more simple life - that will benefit everyone around us - and as a bonus, help the environment.

I think this book is extremely a propos right now - as life has proven to us that excesses cannot be sustained without paying a high price.

Less is More explores our obsessive pursuit of money and success and challenges us - with well formed arguments and research to think outside of the box a little bit - and I feel up to the challenge.

Written for everyone - I found myself devouring this book - feeling inspired at the end of it.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
LESS IS MORE is a powerful collection of works discussing wealth, current events, and the effort to live more simply with an eye more towards inner wealth than outer largess. Less means not only less material wealth, but less debt, stress, and work requirements. Less can lead to More: this tells how in a pick for any general interest library.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Moving away from "more" to... "enough" May 28, 2010
Format:Paperback
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"Here are some of the important reasons to consciously choose Simplicity:

(1) Simplicity fosters a more harmonious relationship with the Earth--the land, water, and air.
(2) Simplicity promotes fairness and equity among the people of the Earth.
(3) Simplicity cuts through needless clutter and complexity.
(4) Simplicity enhances living with balance--inner and outer, work and family, family and community.
(5) Simplicity reveals the beauty and intelligence of nature's designs.
(6) Simplicity increases the resources available for future generations.
(7) Simplicity helps save animal and plant species from extinction.
(8) Simplicity responds to global shortages of oil, water, and other vital resources.
(9) Simplicity keeps our eyes on the prize of what matters most in our lives--the quality of our relationships with family, friends, community, nature, and the cosmos.
(10) Simplicity yields lasting satisfactions that more than compensate for the fleeting pleasures of consumerism.
(11) Simplicity fosters the sanity of self-discovery and an integrated approach to life.
(12) Simplicity blossoms us in community and connects us to the world with a sense of belonging and common purpose.
(13) Simplicity is a lighter lifestyle that fits elegantly into the real world of the 21ST century."

The above comes from one of the chapters of this intriguing book edited by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska. Andrews, who has a PhD in education from Stanford, is an author and founder of a Seattle ecovillage. Urbanska, a graduate of Harvard, is also an author and host/producer of the "Simple Living" PBS television series.

This well-written book consists of a series of essays (each essay being a chapter) by a diverse collection of writers covering topics from simplicity to climate change to economics to happiness. The essay writers include such people as a psychology professor, lawyer, author, advertising agent, professor of family social science, publisher, a former emergency room director, architect, professor of biology and environmental science, sustainability coordinator, and professor of sociology.

These essays advocate a simpler, less cluttered lifestyle, one where the focus is not on mindless material consumption, but rather on inner riches, connection with nature, meaningful involvement in the community and, perhaps most important, the act of making conscious choices about how we lead our lives.

This is not an anti-business or anti-technology book. This book advocates an innovative, thoughtful, and deliberate approach to how we live, work, and spend our leisure time.

Finally, I had one problem with this book. Only two essays have references/notes. The rest do not.

In conclusion, this is a gem of a book that shows that less is REALLY more!!

(first published 2009; acknowledgements; preface; 3 parts or 34 chapters/essays; after word; main narrative 260 pages; notes; index; about the editors)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars same old stuff rehashed
I was hoping to learn something new. But it was just the same old subject written differently. If you already read a few books on voluntary simplicity you already know enough... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dori vaughan
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book....
I loved this book, everything in it makes so much sense....Live simpler for a more fulfilled and happy life, it really is as simple as that!!!!!
Published 5 months ago by Siobhain Danaher
5.0 out of 5 stars A keeper
Anything to do with simple living, less is better, making a smaller footprint on the earth are books I love. This one is excellent. Read more
Published 17 months ago by avirginiareader
2.0 out of 5 stars Mostly empty essays and tired repetition
I had high hopes for this, but found most of the essays rather empty and tired. And one was utterly offensive. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Compleat Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars A new vision of how LESS is MORE
Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska bring a new vision in "Less is More: Embracing Simplicity for a Healthy Planet, a Caring Economy and Lasting Happiness. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Niki Collins-queen, Author
4.0 out of 5 stars Simple
Let me start out by saying...I love the book, just be prepared it reads more text book in many places...little to much...but the overall message is very good.... Read more
Published on February 10, 2011 by Patti
5.0 out of 5 stars Reduces Anxiety
I just loved this book, it really helped me to realize that all the "stuff" I have doesn't make my life any better and in fact, that stuff increases my anxiety. Read more
Published on January 4, 2011 by Garden Reader
1.0 out of 5 stars Gag me with a (fancy) spoon.
I picked up this book at the library. Over time, I have come to purchase books I want to read, rather than just check them out at my local library. Read more
Published on January 26, 2010 by Mary K. Fons
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