Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

I bought "Simplify Your Life" by Elaine St. James and I loved it.. so naturally, I thought this would be a good purchase.. it's EXACTLY the same thing!! So yes, I feel like she ripped me off and added to the "clutter" in my bookshelf by trying to meet some sort of publishing quota

I really enjoyed reading this book as well as "Inner Simplicity". It gave us the courage to escape the suburban life in the big city (Houston, TX) and move to the country! We are renting a cabin on a Longhorn cattle ranch in Central Texas. We've managed to scale down to about 1000 sq ft and I don't miss ANY of the baggage we left behind (though I'm sure the charity we gave it to is happy!). This book is not for anyone who thinks you have to have a lot of money saved to live a simple life. It's for people who genuinely want to make a committment to changing their present lifestyle which may mean giving up some "toys" or climbing a career ladder. We made sure we could sustain ourselves on a modest living in our new surroundings before we took the leap. I traded rush hour traffic twice a day for a swing and a cup of coffee on my front porch at sunrise. You CAN get your sanity back, but be ready to give up consumerism...you won't miss it!

Although it would be easy to write all of the allotted 1,000 words to review this book, in the spirit of the book let me tell you a few unbelievable (perhaps, but not for me)realities that happened after my husband and I began to live a much more simple life: 1) our hearts swell with joy for each other even though we're both somewhat disabled and not capable of working anymore; 2) the condition of disabled living was untenable for me until this book - today my disability has become a gift; 3) we have been forced to live on a far-reduced income (I no longer can be the professor at the area university, a life I adored) and have NOT been forced to move from our comfortable condo on the beach in West Palm Beach; 4) I never carry a pocketbook but always have what I need when I am out and need or wish to purchase something - this has also lightened the burden of trying to handle a pocketbook or even a fanny pack while manipulating a crutch and weak muscles; 5) we both read more, enjoy more, and ultimately feel far less pain by following the simple changes we read about in St. James' book.

It's got 5 stars from me because I smile daily as opposed to grimace and "crankerize" about my life!

This book would be a good place to start for anyone just starting to consider scaling down and simplifying life - or even for someone who is just curious about the whole idea. It is a very basic book, and for people who've already made significant changes towards more simple living, it won't be very useful. But if you are overworked, stressed out, buried in clutter and feel you don't have a moment for yourself, pick up this book! It would be a good place to begin.

Most of what the author recommends, our family already does. Some of it IS common sense, but most of it is "counter cultural" and many of us wouldn't think of doing these things on our own. I think she has some really good ideas. She is also a good example of someone who has lived an extremely successful, hectic life and moved toward a more simple existence - without depriving herself of anything she truly values.

I agree with another reviewer that she's a little "misanthropic" - she does seem to consider people "clutter" and to be quick to recommend ditching the humans in your life. While this can sometimes be good advice with certain individuals, I truly value my family, friends, and "houseguests" [which she implies are always "unwanted"]. I would not care for a life without these dear ones - simple or no. Sometimes people are messy, and sometimes we do need to move on from damaging relationships; but in general human companionship is worth the "complications" in my opinion.

This is a good general "beginners guide to the simple life" and is also a very quick and easy read - good for mommies like me [and others] who have to do their reading in 5 minute snatches here and there!

That could be the subtitle of this and St. James other Simplify books.

Advertising, media, and our culture train bad habits into us, draining our energy, creativity, finances, and, in general, cluttering our lives with "stuff."

I liked this book and felt, by the end, I "knew" the author (and I liked her, too). Some reviewers are more critical of this book, and there are weaknesses. Like most self-help book, too many pages are dithered away convincing us that Simplifying is good (presumably, the reader understands this already.) Also, many of these tips have meaning to those (and there are lots of us) who have been caught up in the yuppy-variety of consermerism (for example, you'll find out here what to do with the towels that no longer match you Color Scheme.)

There is something here for everyone, though, and us older readers would like to grind the pages and sprinkle them over the young. And take a tip from St. James: check this book out at the library to keep your shelves clear!

"Living the Simple Life" is an expansion on "Simplify Your Life", written 2 years earlier. Compared to that book, which reads like a laundry list of tips on cutting down on laundry, this one is more reflective. It has fewer bite-sized "tips", and more thoughtful, open-ended suggestions. I found its tone still gratingly 'yuppy' in places (e.g., "i can't help having an emotional attachment to my BMW"), still 'Martha Stewarty' in others (e.g., yet more discussion of linens) but these were less frequent than before.

"Living the Simple Life" appears to be aimed at those who simply are over-burdened and want off the rat-wheel to have more time for families and hobbies. This is fine insofar as it goes, but I'd have given 4 stars if there had been any mention of the simple life as a route back to a life of community, how the simplicity movement relates to a larger yearning for a healthy society. Many see the simplification movement as vital to maintaining a healthy human presence on the planet, since our atomized, resource-gobbling, materialistic society is transforming into a less livable place in many ways. Lowering our consumption and getting in touch with each other and our roots seem like a natural, healthy response. However this connection either did not occur to the author, or it was edited out. There was a brief passage on having time to volunteer, but the other 340 pages were about personal goal-setting, time management, motivation, self-assertion, and other mechanics of simplifying. Personally I think not mentioning the larger implications of the act of simplification, i.e., beyond one's personal gain, made the book a bit shallow, although it's still much better than its predecessor.

For those hoping to simplify their lives, this book may supply the inspiration they need to confirm their commitment. If nothing else, it may be the voice of a kindred spirit, which may be perfect in a time of transition. On the other hand, the content was insubstantial, offering nothing common sense couldn't provide on its own. More disturbing was a quiet misanthropic thread that would pop up, as if getting rid of people would simplify life. For example, a chapter on clutter ends up saying you may need to reconsider keeping the spouse if he treasures clutter and you don't...or you can simplify your life by keeping only two extra sets of dishes, avoiding "unwanted houseguests". Both my spouse and my houseguests are treasured, so this sort of advice just made my skin crawl.