Living Without Electricity (People's Place Book No. 9) [Paperback]

Stephen Scott (Author), Kenneth Pellman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1990

How do the Amish get along without electric lights or appliances, computers, power tools, or their own phones? This book examines the Amish response to technology. Also, the role of invention among the Amish. "Reads quickly because it is written in an entertaining and loving style, but it contains considerable information." - Pennsylvania Magazine

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Reads quickly because it is written in an entertaining and loving style, but it contains considerable information." - Pennsylvania Magazine "Living Without Electricity is a factual, unglamorized yet sensitive account of how the Amish live without inventions that most of us in North America take for granted." - Christian Living "Perhaps its most useful contribution is an explanation of why some labor-saving devices are acceptable to the Old Order while others are not." - Kitchener-Waterloo Record "The strength of this book is the attention given to variation in the use of mechanical power among the Amish through time and from settlement to settlement. The authors document the use or prohibition of devices such as pickup balers, motorized washing machines, and bulk milk tanks. The book also includes many good photographs of these devices." - Mennonite Quarterly Review "Similarities and differences within groups of Amish and between geographical areas are highlighted. Charts and photographs add interest and information. One is also able to see when various technological changes took place in the larger American society. "What becomes clear throughout is that all new inventions are evaluated in terms of their long range effects on the Amish community and in terms of their compatibility with Amish values. The simple joys of working and living together as a family, portrayed by the Amish way of life, hold a great deal of appeal. "It is hard to imagine a better written, more widely documented book on the subject of the Amish and technology." - Provident BookFinder

From the Back Cover

This book tells how and why the Amish live without inventions other people take for granted: -How do you light a room without electricity? -How do you keep warm without centralized heating? -What do you do for entertainment when you don't have TV? -How do you get around without a car? -How do you communicate when you don't have a phone? Living Without Electricity explains how the Amish cook and store food, pump water, wash clothes, and even run farms and businesses. It describes the practices of other Old Order groups in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several South American countries.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Good Books; First Printing edition (1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093467261X
• ISBN-13: 978-0934672610
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Cultural

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A handy little book, June 6, 2003

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Living Without Electricity (People's Place Book No. 9) (Paperback)

This handy little book is an interesting window into the daily life of the modern Amish (OK, that sounds a bit like an oxymoron). It begins with an informative and sympathetic explanation of who the Amish are, and why they live the way they do. After that, the book looks into how they live their lives, making do without electrical appliances.

I found this book to be quite interesting and informative. It is far from being a "how-to," so you probably won't be able to take any suggestions from it. But, it does help to give the outsider a more thorough understanding of what daily life is like in an Amish community. I highly recommend this book.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primer on voluntary simplicity, April 14, 2000

By 

Bill Wilson (SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Without Electricity (People's Place Book No. 9) (Paperback)

This book introduces the reader to the philosophy and lifestyle of the Amish people. It shows how they live a life of voluntary simplicity, instead of rampant consumerism. If you are interested in de-stressing your lifestyle and learning how simple pleasures are usually the best, you will enjoy this book immensely.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent look at the way Amish approach technology, March 15, 2008

By 

mianfei - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Living without Electricity (People's Place Book) (Hardcover)

"Living Without Electricity" is an impressive overview of how the Amish and other Anabaptist groups have used technology over the years.

Although it does not go into detail about their actual cultural values, it shows clearly how these values lead them to reject many forms of modern technology, but more significantly and interestingly, it gives clues that, far from being stubbornly and rigidly clinging to outdated ideas, the Amish can be quite innovative inadapting technology from the outside world to fit in with their culture and beliefs. Often, Stephen Scott shows the Amish not simply using technology that has disappeared from the wider world, but actually improving that technology in quite enterprising ways so that it will benefit them as a group. This is most especially true of Amish farming methods but can also be found in their quite remarkable pedal-operated sewing machines, and their use of animals to pump water (All of this, very strangely, makes me think of my maternal grandparents' old house which had many old tools). Most significant and interesting for the outside world, however, is the way in which the Amish have been abel to adapt machines to compressed-air power wistead of electricity.

Scott is very fair about the Amish and shows they do have many problems trying to adapt to a rapidly changing world whilst retaining ideals that stress practicality, gentleness and deep emotional ties. (Recent study of personality theory gives me a quite fresh appreciation of Amish culture).

As another reviewer said, this won't permit anybody to simplify thier life. However, it will give a better appreciation of one of the most unique cultures in the world and confront quite a number of misunderstood beliefs about them. There is also a small section on Old Order Mennonites at the back.