Living the Simple Life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More [Hardcover]

Elaine St. James (Author), Laurie Abkemeier (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996

Written in short, easy-to-read segments, the author of Simplify Your Life shows readers how to simplify the way they manage their household, work, lifestyle, health, finances, and spiritual life. $100,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former businesswoman Elaine St. James, whose previous books, Simplify Your Life and Inner Simplicity, have over 475,000 copies in print, once again cries "Simplify!" in Living the Simple Life: 100 Steps to Scaling Down and Enjoying More. After a brief testimony to the rewards of her own simplified life, St. James discusses 100 areas, from household chores to e-mail, where action may be effectively taken to remove the clutter from everyday life. A pinch of Heloise and a dash of Buddha enliven her recipes. Book club sales to Rodale, BOMC, QPB and One Spirit. Second serial rights to Ladies' Home Journal. (Hyperion, $14.95 320p ISBN 0-7868-6219-X)
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 350 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Books; 1st edition (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078686219X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786862191
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,120,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars some great information in here, November 2, 2001

By 

christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Houston Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Living the Simple Life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More (Paperback)

This is the first book that I read on the subject of simplifying ones life. It is a small sized book with tiny 2-3 page chapters. It is easy to read in bits and pieces.

It has been a few years since I first read this book and I just went back to browse over it again. I realized that many of the authors' suggestions I began using back then and am still using. There are some very do-able tips such as trying to touch each piece of mail only once. I was inspired to cancel my weekly newspaper and to scale back on the number of magazine subscriptions as I didn't have time to read them and was feeling pressured to "get to the pile". I also donated many sets of linens to a charity after I realized I had too many and wasn't ever going to use them all.

There is a great section on saying no and not feeling guilty about saying no. That alone is worth buying and reading the book.

I found the book had some wacky suggestions such as owning only one fork, knife and spoon. Other suggestions I couldn't put into effect were when I buy one item of clothing to get rid of one that I already have. I also could not do her meal plan where they eat the same 7 dinners every single week. Yuck.

The part that I found not so helpful was that there were really no suggestions regarding being a family with young children. I realized that it must be simpler to simplify ones life when in middle age years (as the author is and describes) than with babies underfoot. I also realized that parents of young children could benefit from some specific ideas to simplify our lives that are unique to our situation. Parents are very pressured to buy the right toys, a lot of toys, the right clothes, enroll in the best preschool, have elaborate birthday parties, do sports at an early age, etc. I would love to hear from someone that it is all right and a good idea to simplify and scale back all this craziness with our young children. I think I have found that in "Mitten Strings for God" by Katrina Kenison-but I have to find the time to read it!

144 of 166 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Another recovering yuppie who has found "religion", June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Living the Simple Life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More (Paperback)

St. James has a lot of good advice here in a marketable "chicken soup" style presentation, but a major weakness is that the book seems slanted to the needs of recovering yuppies who have their loot already and can afford to slow down. I guess from a marketing standpoint that is a strength because those are the people who regularly buy books like this one. Voluntary simplicity is a different story for young people just starting out who haven't made enough money to qualify for the first home, or accumulated enough to even consider semi-retirement. For such people, the simple life often demands significant "sacrifices" such as conventional career success and social status. If the simplicity movement is to have any sort of long term credibility, there needs to be more books from authors other than the likes of St. James, people who have truly paid the economic price for the soul-enlarging blessings of simplicity.

50 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Living the Simple Life, January 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Living the Simple Life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More (Paperback)

Elaine St. James offers many practical tips to simplfy your life. Many are just plain common sense. Whilst reading her book, I couldn't get over the feeling that the author seems to be lacking spiritual depth in her commitment to the simple life. She and her husband Gibbs, seem to be very wrapped up in their little world. They both have already achieved financial success with their careers; its obvious they are not hurting for money. They have already lived in the fancy house, driven the luxury car, worn the designer clothes and got tired of all the trappings. I do not dispute that many of the authors suggestions are worthwhile and offer the reader some food for thought, however I think if you are looking for a book that deals with simplicity on more of a spirtual path, I would look elsewhere.